silk kimono
by paws-bells
Summary: ItaSaku. AU. They were never supposed to meet. She had always been oblivious and wary of the opposite sex, he simply would not take no for an answer. This Christmas holidays was going to be something neither would forget.
1. Chapter 1

**Title:** silk kimono

**Author: **pawsbells

**Characters/Pairing: **Haruno Sakura and Uchiha Itachi

**Type:** Continuous (InComplete)

**Genre:** General/Romance

**Word Count:** 5875

**Theme:** LJ Community, 50shinobi theme #39, silk kimono

**Rating: **M (Contains content suitable for mature teens and older)

**Disclaimer:** Naruto belongs to Kishimoto-san.

**Summary: **AU. She was one of the youngest Neurosurgeons in Tokyo, sweet, innocent and extremely good in what she does. He was the youngest ever to assume the role of Superintendent-General, a coldly emotionless genius who was taught from birth to take anything he wanted—one of the most influential men in Japan. They were never supposed to meet; their worlds so vastly different that it was a literal head on collision when their paths crossed and that left them both shaken and wanting for more. She had always been oblivious and wary of the opposite sex, he simply would not take 'no' for an answer. This Christmas holidays was going to be something neither would forget.

**A/N:** This is probably the longest one-shot in the history of one-shots. It had simply gotten out of hand and had taken me an entire week to complete it. I was like a speed demon typing away on the laptop, trust me. My classmates thought that I was insane. I think I am, in a way. Again, enjoy if you can, folks.

**Chapter Last Revised on:** 08/12/07

**

* * *

Chapter 1

* * *

**

"Sakura! What on earth are you doing in the hospital today? You aren't supposed to be here!"

Twenty-two year old Haruno Sakura winced inwardly at the slightly chiding tone coming from behind her.

Damn, she was in for barely two hours and she was already busted.

The youngest Neurologist to join the Tokyo University Hospital took a deep breath before turning around to smile innocently at the hospital's Dean of Medicine.

"Why, good afternoon to you too, Tsunade-sama!" The pretty pink-haired female felt that she was doing a great job pretending to ignore the busty blonde's pointed questions. "What a surprise to see you here too, on this-"

"-wonderful, glorious, wintry Christmas Eve?" The Dean's dry tone made it obvious that she wasn't the least fooled by the younger female's lousy attempts at distracting her. "I had to meet up with a bunch boring stuffed shirts to discuss about the hospital funding, that's what. What are you doing here? I specifically told you last night to take the next two days off, didn't I? "

Sakura could only smile sheepishly at the mildly stern tone.

It was well known among the large hospital that she was an incurable workaholic, regularly clocking the most insane amount of hours within the hospital ever since she had started working there a year ago. Sakura simply loved being a doctor. The highly intelligent female had graduated medical school summa cum laude a good three years ahead of her peers, which certainly explained why she was already so specialized when most doctors her age were still interning under a resident physician in the hospital. She didn't mind being on the fast track though; it had been her dream since childhood to be able to help people and now that she was finally a fully certified Neurologist she was enthusiastically throwing herself into her job. Her exuberance for her occupation was a little too much perhaps, but still Sakura would simply have it no other way.

"I know, Tsunade-sama." The young woman answered honestly, bright emerald eyes shining with wry humor. "But there was simply nothing to do at home and I just couldn't help myself!"

Tsunade raised a disbelieving brow.

"What about your friends?"

Sakura thought about the gang. Naruto was meeting Hinata's family today; he had been such a nervous wreck last night and she had to spend most of the early morning on the phone encouraging and prepping him for today. Ino and Shikamaru were going to this costumed Christmas party held by the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Force where the Nara was working as a rather high ranking Detective Lieutenant, never mind the fact that he was always complaining about how troublesome his occupation was. Everything was troublesome to him, according to Ino. And last she heard Kiba was currently off somewhere in Brazil filming a documentary about the wildlife in the Amazonian forests and Shino was on a book signing tour in Australia, following the overwhelming success of his third thriller bestseller.

Sakura shrugged cheerfully.

"They either have appointments already or they are working as well."

The blonde shook her head.

"You need more friends." The Dean muttered to herself. Tsunade had never met anyone as hardworking as Sakura before, and as proud as she was of this bright, new addition to the hospital she was also worried that the younger woman would suffer burnout at the rate she was going. Sakura was literally barreling her way through such a great amount of cases each month that Tsunade had no idea how she had managed to accomplish it.

"What about presents?"

Emerald eyes twinkled.

"All bought, wrapped and prepared one month in advance."

"Family?"

Sakura's lips twitched.

"My parents are currently enjoying themselves on a trip to the Bahamas. Early Christmas present, of course."

Tsunade eyed her pink-haired employee with mild envy. Damned, the girl had great taste. A trip to the Bahamas would have been a dream come true for her. Plenty of alcohol for her to indulge in, great sunny weather, no hospital obligations and most importantly, no Jiraiya. However this conversation was not about her and Tsunade was quickly running out of things that might send Sakura out of the hospital and somewhere else to properly enjoy her Christmas.

"Er, boyfriend?"

The Dean was really grasping at straws by now and they both knew it. It was all Sakura could do not to smile outright. Tsunade was indeed a most wonderful overseer for the hospital. She cared for the patients, fiercely defended her staff, always looked after their welfare and most importantly, knew when to put her foot down when the patrons of their hospital became too pushy or unreasonable.

Sakura crossed her arms and stared at the blonde.

"Do I look like I have a boyfriend?" She asked. In response Tsunade took at good long look at her Neurologist.

Haruno Sakura was not ugly. She may be a little on the petite side but her figure was trim and lithe. She had a chest that was a little larger than average, her waist was narrow and her hips curved in a way most men would find extremely pleasing. Adding to her fantastic physique was her beautiful heart-shaped face, small nose and a dainty pink rosebud of a mouth that smiled more often than frowned. She was a regular traffic stopper without even realizing her own appeal; her vivacious personality perfectly complimented by her unique pink hair and laughing, vibrant emerald eyes.

How could someone like her be unattached?

"…I'm guessing that means no." The Dean's voice was wry. Sakura nodded, not at all upset by her long running single status.

"It's always so busy at the hospital anyways." The pink-haired doctor provided helpfully. Tsunade mock-frowned at her.

"Oh no, you don't. Don't you blame your unattached status on the hospital; we both know very well that you are always the first to volunteer whenever there is OT."

Guilty as charged, Sakura shrugged and smiled cheerily, not at all repentant.

"You caught me."

Tsunade shook her head with exasperation; it was always hard to stay irritated at Sakura for long. In the entire year that the young Neurologist had been with the hospital not once had she given any trouble to anyone and the patients she had treated so far all seemed to adore her engaging manners and skilled professionalism. Sakura possessed a great personality and was genuinely kindhearted to everyone around her and that was all the more reason for Tsunade to watch over this particular staff of hers. Sometimes the blonde wondered how on earth someone with ideals as innocent as Sakura could have survived this long and still remain untouched by the cynical world.

Of course she had no idea that was because Sakura had great friends who would do anything just to protect their sweet and loyal friend. Said group of friends consisted of a most electric mix of people; two loud, overprotective blondes, a quietly supportive but extremely powerful heiress, a lazy genius whose IQ was off the charts, a raucous, famous documentary star and an exceptionally well known author with mysterious connections extending to just about anywhere under the sun.

Sakura was indeed blessed in her choice of friends and it looked like she was about to have yet another overprotective blonde join her list of important people.

"I really do mean it though, Sakura." Tsunade's voice, though rather mild at the moment, held the slightest hint of steel that told Sakura immediately that the older female meant exactly what she said. No amount of sweet smiles and innocent green eyes were going to change her decision.

"You have worked very hard this entire year. Take these two days off and relax. Spend some alone time for yourself if you really cannot find someone to spend Christmas with. After all, I do not want our favorite doctor in TUH to suffer from a bad case of burnout."

Sakura pinkened slightly at the inadvertent praise.

"I won't suffer from burnout, I swear!" The petite petal-haired female vowed. "I just came down today to see the children in the pediatric ward. They just seem so lonely sometimes…"

Emerald eyes darkened with a familiar melancholy that made Tsunade heave an inward sigh.

"Go home, Sakura." The blonde commanded quietly. "You are already showing the initial signs of emotional exhaustion."

Sakura opened her mouth to protest.

"But I'm not-"

"_Sakura_."

The pink-haired female closed her mouth. Tsunade looked so firm and she knew that the amber-eyed Dean was not going to give an inch. She nodded reluctantly.

"Alright, Tsunade-sama." Well used to people bossing her around for her own good, Sakura knew that Tsunade meant well and that as Dean she definitely knew better than her on such matters. It didn't hurt to listen once in a while, after all. Maybe she would just curl up on a sofa with a book and watch the snowy day go by when she got home. It became more tempting the longer she thought of it, and very soon Sakura didn't feel quite as dismayed as before.

She was always such an optimistic person, and would always be the first to find something positive out of the negative.

Still, Sakura was rather subdued as she bid her boss a polite farewell before turning and hurrying down the ward corridor. Tsunade watched her retreating back until it disappeared around the corner. Then the blonde sighed aloud.

Now if she could only listen to her own orders and head on home as well. But no, her responsibilities were just too great and she would be lucky if she could call in sick tomorrow and sneak off for some well deserved break. With that thought in mind, the voluptuous blonde turned and was about to stride down the other end of the quiet passageway when quick footsteps sounded rapidly from behind her. Tsunade turned back around immediately just in time to see Sakura running towards her.

Tsunade arched her brow.

"If you are coming back to persuade me to let you return to work tomorrow…"

The young Neurologist shook her head immediately, incredibly long strands of silky pink hair fluttering around the small of her waist and tickling her elbows as she did so.

"No, that's not it!" Sakura denied immediately. Digging around in the many deep pockets of her white overcoat, she started to fumble for something she had trouble finding. Tsunade waited patiently as Sakura muttered under her breath as she searched for her missing item.

"There! Found it!" Lifting her gaze to the older doctor, Sakura smiled cheerfully at the blonde, totally forgetting about the mildly strained event that had transpired but minutes ago.

"I wanted to give this to you tomorrow but since I probably won't be allowed in here...this is for you, Tsunade-sama!" Without further ado, Sakura presented a small gift-wrapped box to the surprised woman. "I wasn't sure what to get you, but I hope you would like this little token of appreciation from me. Merry Christmas."

Sakura's hands were still stretched out towards the blonde, the little green and silver-wrapped present sitting nicely on her palms as she offered it to her. Tsunade took the gift from the sincerely smiling girl.

"Thanks." The blonde eyed the little box curiously, inwardly wondering what it could be. A small, reluctant smile flirted with her lips and in turn Sakura's face brightened even more.

"I detoured back just to pass this to you. I'm really leaving now. See you after the break, Tsunade-sama!"

With that said the young Neurologist sketched a polite bow towards the Dean before turning around and tracing a quick path to the exit of the hospital.

"Wait, Sakura!"

Surprised, the pretty pink-haired doctor turned again to see Tsunade walking towards her, a larger smile on her face. "Thank you, Sakura." The blonde's voice was warm with affection. Emerald eyes danced.

"You are welcome, Tsunade-sama."

Sakura was about to leave the ward once more when the blonde motioned for her to stop. Curious, Sakura obeyed. Emerald met amused amber as Tsunade bent her head down slightly to whisper something into her ear. By the time Tsunade straightened again Sakura's face was bright pink and she was gaping at the senior doctor in shock.

The Dean could not help herself; she started to chuckle softly.

"You really are a good girl, Sakura. Keep what I said in mind, and enjoy your well-deserved break. I will see you in two days' time and nothing less, is that clear?"

Still slightly mortified by Tsunade's earlier comments Sakura could only nod obediently and watch as the blonde continue chuckling as she walked out of the ward.

Tsunade's eyes twinkled with laughter. If she had known that this was the way to get the stubborn Haruno to do her bidding she would have done it a long time ago!

Well…now she knew how to handle Sakura whenever she refuses to go home again…

No one dared to question the Dean as she strode passed them, shoulders shaking slightly with mirth. Tsunade was always a little odd like that.

* * *

Sakura's face was still tinted pink by the time she arrived home an hour later.

Really, the young doctor thought flustered, Tsunade-sama was really evil to say something like that to her. As if she would do something like…that!

Still, she could not help but smile at the older blonde's teasing. Absently climbing the steps to her apartment, Sakura shook her head to clear her thoughts. What was she going to do now that she was almost home?

Quickly reaching the door to her apartment, Sakura was about to insert her key into the lock when muffled scuffles sounded from the other side of her door. Before she could ponder much about the strange sound the door was abruptly pulled open from the opposite side and the pretty pink-haired female blinked in surprise at the person standing at the other end of the room.

"Hey. You are finally back."

"Ino! What on earth are you doing here?" Sakura wondered aloud as her blonde friend stepped aside to let her across the threshold of her home. She set down her laptop and other belongings onto the couch before beginning the slow task of unraveling herself from all the winter clothing that she was buried under. It was so cold outside and belatedly Sakura decided that she was rather grateful that Ino was here to switch on the heating. "Aren't you supposed to be preparing for that costume party tonight?"

Ino took the coat from Sakura and padded over to the closet to store the heavy outer clothing. Then the blonde came back over to her best friend, hip propped against the back of the sofa as she watched Sakura untangle herself from her long, woolen scarf. Sakura peeked at Ino and saw that the other female had traces of makeup on her face and that her hair was already beautifully styled in enchanting ringlets that fell to mid back.

"Nice hair." Sakura commented dryly. "And don't tell me; you must be here to borrow the bathroom again."

A smirk appeared on Ino's painted lips.

"You are almost right."

Sakura lifted a brow as she draped her scarf carelessly over the couch before flopping onto the space beside it. Ino followed suit.

"Almost?" The pink-haired Neurologist asked, turning around slightly and fingering Ino's blonde curls with mild curiosity. She had never seen this style on her before and it looked really good on her best friend.

"Yup." The taller blonde answered resolutely. "I am also here to get you ready for tonight."

Ino's firm voice had Sakura eyeing her warily immediately.

"What do you mean, 'get ready for tonight'?" The doctor asked suspiciously. "The only thing that I have to get ready for tonight would be to-"

"-get ready for work?" Ino's voice was dry as Sakura nodded quickly.

Even though it wasn't true and she was definitely not going to be allowed anywhere near the hospital since Tsunade would be in this evening, Sakura simply had no wish to participate in any social gala if she had the choice. The petite female would rather stay at home with a good book and a mug of hot chocolate and really disliked attending any parties or events or the such because she just knew that she would end up spending her time dodging appallingly overeager suitors the entire evening thanks to Ino's well meaning but not really appreciated attempts at matchmaking her best friend. Sakura was content to be single; she didn't really understand why her blonde friend could not see that.

Ino looked at Sakura's innocently nonchalant face and promptly shot her best friend a small glare.

"You are lying, Sakura." The blonde announced immediately. "You are doing that feet tapping thing again."

The pink-haired female winced inwardly. Damn. She was caught again. She really had to control that nervous tic of hers.

"I'm not lying!" Sakura denied lamely as she willed her feet to stop twitching. "I have to work. It's so busy at the hospital that-"

"-that your Dean of Medicine called to wish you a merry Christmas and that she had better not see you until after Christmas or you will be taking an official two weeks' leave until after New Year?"

Sakura really did wince this time. Double damn. That really sounded like what Tsunade-sama would say and the fact that Ino knew for sure now that she had no plans tonight simply did not bode well for her.

Ino crossed her arms as she sat up to stare at her best friend with exasperation. Sakura wasn't exactly a shy wallflower. She stood out most beautifully wherever she went and her cheerful, laughing personality always never failed to attract people to her in droves. Ino really didn't understand how on earth she was content to just linger around at home when she could go out and meet new people and hopefully, her other half as well.

It still baffled Ino that someone as sweet as her best friend was able to remain unattached for as long as she had.

The nosy blonde conveniently forgot about Sakura's group of powerful, overprotective friends whom she herself was a part of.

Anyways, Ino was very determined to get Sakura out of her house and to the costumed party tonight. For tonight at least, Sakura was going to get a life whether she wants it or not.

"Come on, Sakura." Ino pouted; her sapphire blue eyes dark with petulance. "We haven't gone to a party together ever since you started working at TUH. You are always so busy so tonight is a rare occasion, isn't it?"

Sakura was rather sure that she was not going to like where this conversation was heading. Ino was going to guilt her into attending and the pink-haired female knew that she wasn't going to be able to deny her best friend. Ino was right after all; she had not gone out with the blonde for so long and a part of her felt slightly remorseful for not spending enough time with her best friend.

That didn't mean that she was just going to give up without a fight though.

"Ino, you know that I never liked to go to these events."

The blonde rolled her eyes subtly.

"Face it; you never like to go to any events, Sakura." Then she became a little serious. "But this is a formal gala. It is not going to be all wild and noisy and crazy-like. You might enjoy it if you give it a chance, forehead."

Sakura frowned slightly. Formal didn't sound like good news to her but the subtraction of loud music and raucous drunks made the idea a little more palatable to her. Ino always knew how to pick her words when it came to convincing her; Sakura had been suckered into so many of the blonde's schemes over the years that she had lost count already.

And the pink-haired doctor just knew that this wasn't going to be the last time either. Not by a long shot.

Ino gave her the large, hopeful blue eyes that never failed to convince Shikamaru and occasionally herself to do whatever the blonde wanted.

"Please, Sakura?"

Sakura heaved a loud sigh.

"But I don't have a costume."

Ino smiled and bit back the urge to whoop with victory. Her mesmerizing blue eyes started to gleam with a different type of intent. Mischief.

"Don't worry, Sakura. I have already found the perfect outfit for you."

* * *

And that was how Sakura found herself standing all alone in the middle of a huge ballroom surrounded by what looked to her like the largest bunch of bigwigs in law enforcement when ten p.m. rolled by.

No expense had been spared for this event for as far as she could see. The decorations were posh and tasteful; the ambience subdued and elegant as an entire orchestra played soft strains of classical music from a corner. The drinks were expensive and service was prompt and discreet as the servers moved silently among the throngs of VIPs and sounds of gay conversations and laughter resounded all over the place no matter where she turned.

Everybody present were decked out in all sorts of elaborate costumes conceivable and the women who were hanging off the arms of their prominent counterparts looked especially gorgeous and exotic in daring attires with extremely low-cut cleavages and short, flirty hemlines. It didn't take long for Sakura to feel a little washed out in her own seemingly unglamorous outfit—not to mention very alone.

Ino had left her side almost the very moment they got past the highly secured parameters of this seven-star hotel to look for her absent boyfriend. Shikamaru had been on a case today and hadn't been able to escort them to the venue, much to the regret of his badly ringing ears after he had informed Ino over the phone a few hours ago. He had promised to meet them at the party though, seeing that all police personnel were required to attend and that his blonde girlfriend would kill him if he failed to show up. Unfortunately, none of them had realized just how huge the hotel's ballroom was and anxious to show her boyfriend her dainty English Doll outfit the impatient blonde had went off to look for her Shikamaru, promising Sakura that she would be back in a minute.

Well, almost twenty minutes had passed since then and Sakura was still standing around like a sore thumb all alone among a huge crowd of people. She was really starting to regret giving in to Ino's pleas to attend this function. Absently, the petite petal-haired female started to look around the immediate area for a familiar face—any familiar face.

Almost everyone was in a group and those who weren't were in obvious pairs with their significant other and unfortunately for Sakura she knew not a single soul around her. The pink-haired female groaned mentally.

Now what was she going to do until Ino came and found her? The night was still young but she was certainly not looking forward to spending the rest of her time standing around and generally looking like some misplaced ornament. Not to mention that with all the preparations that Ino had rushed her through earlier she hadn't even had dinner yet. She was starving, her footwear was starting to give her some problems and her attire was entirely too uncomfortable to be worn by any sane person. It made Sakura wonder how on earth her ancestors had managed to don these overly elaborate, multi-layered Kimonos on a daily basis.

Yes, Ino had convinced her best friend to appear as an Imperial Court Princess.

Sakura really had no idea how on earth the blonde had managed to procure the elaborate _Juni-Hito_ at such short notice but she had and the elegant, twelve-layered traditional court attire made of the most gorgeous shades of white, cream and gold had been put on her even before the bewildered female could realize what was going on. By the time Ino finished arranging the delicate _uchigi_ silks and the elaborately brocaded _uwagi_, _karaginu_ and the delicately embroidered _mo_ around Sakura to her satisfaction the only thing the pink-haired female could do was to keep herself from drowning in all the materials that she had on her.

That, and fighting off her determined friend before she could slather makeup all over her face. Sakura had put her foot down regarding the matter (metaphorically of course; the beautiful female had trouble walking with all the layers of clothing she had on as it was. She would have probably fallen flat onto her face if she tried to stomp her foot.), calmly declaring that she was going to a function and not a battleground and therefore there was no need to put on war paint. Of course Ino had grumbled and nagged and to placate her Sakura had at last allowed some eyeliner and a glossy sort of lip-balm to be applied around her eyes and lips.

Her hair had remained relatively untouched throughout the entire ordeal though, much to the Sakura's relief. Remaining true to the fashion of the Heian period, Ino had allowed Sakura's gorgeous, waist length pink tresses to waterfall gently down her back, only spritzing on some hairspray to make sure that they stayed in place and retained their lustrous volume.

And then they had left for the party. Sakura had been only too grateful to walk out of her house; another minute of sitting by doing nothing while Ino treated her like a personal doll would have drove the petal-haired female insane.

Now though, Sakura was sincerely regretting even stepping foot out of her house. The sheer weight of the twelve-layered gown was slowly making itself known to her and it took all of Sakura's discipline not to slouch and fidget with blatant discomfort. Instead, the young woman straightened her shoulders even more and looking every inch like a Japanese Court Princess, daintily folded her hands into the long lapels of her ornately decorated sleeves, effectively radiating a serene and calm appearance despite her growing discomfiture.

As if to commiserate with her misery, her tummy chose that exact moment to give out a hungry gurgle.

Sakura groaned inwardly. Right, she was starving. So what to do?

The petite female looked around her discreetly, hoping to signal a waiter or—ah-hah! To Sakura's joy she had just spotted a long buffet table partially hidden behind a large group of people. Brightening instantly and never one to forsake food, Sakura was about to make her way over when she suddenly hesitated.

Ino had specifically told her to wait here. What if she came over later to find her gone? There were really a lot of people here today and for all the amount of fabric Sakura had on her there was barely enough space for her to tuck in some cash and a credit card. It would be impossible for Ino to contact her.

But then again, the buffet table was only so near. Sakura supposed that if she positioned herself at a certain vantage point she should be able to see when Ino made her reappearance.

As if fully agreeing with Sakura, her tummy growled with approval.

The decision was immediately made. Careful of the delicate fabrics floating around her, Sakura shuffled gracefully towards the direction of the food table. Just learning how to walk in this godawful attire had taken a good fifteen minutes before she had finally gotten the hang of it. Emerald eyes glimmered with pure curiosity; what sort of exotic hors d'oeuvres would they serve here? Sakura had high hopes for the menu and prayed that it would not be as disappointing as how this evening had turned out so far.

For the genius Neurologist, food was one of the greatest indulgences in her life. Of course her love for all kinds of edible stuff had its repercussions. Despite the fact that she exercised regularly, Sakura was quite sure that her hips were a little fuller than they should be but it didn't really matter much to her. Sakura was rather content with her own body and simply didn't see the need to diet excessively like Ino did sometimes.

She started to 'glide' over to the food table as fast as she could and not appear hurried. Damn, but she was really hungry. Sakura hoped that they had chocolate.

* * *

He had been watching her ever since she entered the room.

Her presence had caused quite a stir; like an elegant swan among a flock of gaudy crows she had descended upon the grand staircase of the large ballroom with the grace of a highborn princess whom she was supposed to be tonight. Despite the fact that she was completely covered from neck down, she captured more attention than most of the other women around who were prancing about in only scandalous scraps of clothing and little else. The pure white-gold of her _Juni-Hito_ as well as her eye-catching head of long pink curls made her stand out from the rest and the fact that she didn't seem to notice all the attention that were being heaped upon her intrigued him.

Interest piqued, he continued observing her undetected from the far corner of the room, watching as her blonde companion left her alone to merge with the crowd. Watching as she stood there waiting patiently for her friend's return. Watching with mild amusement as various men tried to grab her attention by catching her eye and failing miserably when she ignored all of them, completely oblivious to the subtle nuances of the interested males.

She had captured his attention and since he had never enjoyed attending parties like the one they were in he might as well spend his time observing this decidedly odd female.

He was an expert in reading body language; thanks to the early teachings of his father he had learnt the power of observation even before he could walk and for someone like him the ability to read and predict the motives of people even before they were fully conscious of their own decisions was a advantage that he often used in his line of work.

The slightest stoop of her shoulders and the smallest hint of discomfort in her eyes easily informed him that her costume was weighing heavily upon her but yet the tranquil look on her face did not change. She stood patiently, all alone in the middle of strangers as she waited for her companion and all seemed well until apparently something caught her attention.

Curious that something had actually managed to snag her interest, he had watched as uncertainty warred fiercely with her pretty face before she quickly made a decision for herself.

He was mildly startled when she started to head purposefully in his direction but when she breezed passed him in a flurry of soft silk and gentle scent of mangoes to continue on towards the table he relaxed slightly and resumed watching her once more, all the while inwardly wondering what was so interesting in that direction.

Then he continued watching with an arched brow as she daintily accepted a plate from the waiting staff and proceeded to pile it sky high with all sorts of food.

The blissful look on her face when she carefully took the first bite of appetizers into her mouth was so comical that he almost smiled. The realization that she had almost ran from the other end of the ballroom just to fill her stomach was just as amusing.

Really, what a strange female.

Oddly enough, watching her happily work her way down the long row of exquisitely made entrées was surprisingly entertaining. For a woman she genuinely seemed to enjoy her food and it showed clearly in the way her eyes brightened with joy whenever she sampled something really good, in the way her small, pink tongue would dart out to taste the food first before welcoming it into her pink, rosebud mouth, in the way she would nibble delicately in a most feline manner as she savored the explosion of tastes in her tongue.

It told him that beneath her seemingly innocent appearance hid a most sensual creature that had not been fully awakened yet.

Then she finally got to the fine selection of chocolates, and he realized how wrong he had been.

The sheer pleasure on her face at the sight of the decadent desserts caught his attention like nothing could. Then she took her time carefully choosing the sweets, worrying her rosy lips with small white teeth occasionally as she compared one with another. The concentration on her face was oddly mesmerizing and he focused most intently upon it.

She was pretty enough, he supposed, but she was definitely not the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. The shape of her body was hardly visible under all those layers of clothing and she was rather petite in size. All in all, she wasn't really the type who normally interested him but yet there was something about her that simply arrested his attention and she was just not letting go.

Onyx eyes darkened unconsciously with anticipation as she at last lifted a small piece of chocolate to her mouth, tongue darting out in a now familiar way as she took an initial taste of the expensive confection. Even from the distance he could see the way her vivid emerald pupils dilate with pure pleasure at the texture and the flavor of the chocolate. Watching the way she puckered her lips slightly as she slowly curled her tongue around the sweet and languidly received it into her mouth made his own go strangely dry.

And then, she chewed slowly as she savored the delicious taste of the chocolate, her large almond-shaped eyes gleaming with an almost wanton enjoyment that had him inhaling sharply. He watched with great intensity when she swallowed reluctantly at last, his heated gaze following the path of her milky, slender throat as it rippled delicately in response.

He realized at that exact moment that his initial casual interest in this particular female had changed drastically into something a lot more possessive—and primal.

He wanted her.

And he wasn't the only one.

A sharp glance around the huge ballroom revealed more than a handful of males who had also seen what he had just saw. An unfamiliar surge of raw aggression flowed through him and immediately he gave his full attention to those men. Most were amused by the petal-haired female's unconscious sensuality; some had a little more than casual interest lurking in their eyes and two or three had a look of pure predatory intent that made his hackles stand straight up.

Then one of the latter could not resist the allure of her siren's call anymore; and started to move towards her. He easily recognized the other male as a rather prominent attorney but that didn't matter at the moment.

_He was not going to let him near her. _

He slid silently into movement.

* * *

_::tsuzuku::

* * *

_

**Questions That I Would Like To Answer Before You Ask:**

This fic is not exactly completed but let's just say that the draft is already done. It is still very rough around the edges and therefore I will be working on refining it more before posting the subsequent chapters. Don't worry, silk kimono is only about five chapters long and I will be updating at least once a week.

---

And yes, before you ask this fic is rated 'M' for a very good reason. You will see said reason soon enough, if you haven't guessed it already.

---

Once again, the Tokyo University Hospital and the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department are not figments of my imagination. They really do exist though I'm not sure if TUH has a Neurology Department or if it is really headed by a Dean of Medicine. Its website was full of Japanese words and little else and sadly I do not have enough knowledge about the beautiful language to understand the information provided.

---

If you feel that Sakura's personality in this fic was a little different from the normal way I usually describe her, then you are right. I was just…experimenting. I have always wondered how Sakura would have turned out if she was brought up in a different type of environment compared to the canon-verse and this was my result. My version of her in this fic was a gentler and very sweetly innocent Sakura, not as feisty or as violent as she normally was but certainly not a complete pushover either. This means that her reactions to certain situations would not be as explosive and she would be slower to anger, among other slight alterations in her character. I hope that I have managed to capture the core essence of her spirit despite the changes that I have made to give her a softer edge. I would love feedback on this particular matter, so shoot if you have any comments!

---

Initially I wanted to dress Sakura up as you guessed it, the ever typical Geisha. I did some research and do you know that there are Geishas and then there are Oirans? Whereas the former are professional entertainers of men, the latter are the most highly sought after courtesans in Japan's history. One should never mistake them for the other; both are equally proud of their arts and would certainly be highly insulted. Geishas' attires are more discreet whereas Oirans' are so colorful and flamboyant and so very beautiful that I changed my mind and wanted Sakura to go as a courtesan instead.

However, I realized soon after I went to Youtube to look at clips of present day Oirans parading down the streets during a festival that it wasn't a very feasible idea, unfortunately. For the sake of authenticity, the traditional footwear of Oirans were so high that they could not even walk properly, needing to employ a most unique but certainly tedious 'figure eight' pattern _as well as_ the support of a manservant. I recommend a visit to Youtube to view that particular clip. It is most fascinating. In fact, I have put the link on my profile for those who are interested.

And so that was how Sakura appeared as an Imperial Court Princess instead and I didn't regret the choice now that I have made it. Her personality in this fic was more suited to a gentle princess than an exotic courtesan and I was most pleased by the results. As for her attire, the _Juni-hito_ was a traditional outfit worn by ancient Japanese during the Heian period. Court nobility donned these extravagant clothing made of silk mostly during the winter and spring and although the norm was ten to twelve layers of _Uchigi _worn over the _kosode_ (their undergarments), noblewomen wearing up to forty layers had been recorded.

Once again, I was most fascinated by the _Juni-hito_; apparently wearing certain colors on certain layers has certain meanings and only immediate Royalties are allowed to wear a select colors. Imagine; you are either a walking, permutating Rubik's cube or an ancient walking traffic light with mixed signals, whichever you choose. I was most amused when I was researching this. So far I have not found any pictures of women wearing the _Juni-hito_ although it was stated that present day Japanese Royalty are still required to put on the very formal attire on certain important occasions. If anyone is interested, I have found a rare but very detailed website that has more information about the _Juni-hito_. It even has pictures of Japanese dolls in full _Juni-hito_ attires and the silk creations were intricately embroidered and so gorgeous that it was thanks to this site that I could clearly picture Sakura in her own royal dressing. I have put the site link up on my profile as well; do take a look if you are keen on knowing more!

----------

Your reviews fuel my passion for writing. So please leave a comment if you like this fic, thank you.

--paws


	2. Chapter 2

**Title:** silk kimono

**Author: **paws-bells

**Characters/Pairing: **Haruno Sakura and Uchiha Itachi

**Type:** Continuous (InComplete)

**Genre:** General/Romance

**Word Count:** 4233

**Theme:** LJ Community, 50shinobi theme #39, silk kimono

**Rating: **M (Contains content suitable for mature teens and older)

**Disclaimer:** Naruto belongs to Kishimoto-san.

**Summary: **AU. She was one of the youngest Neurosurgeons in Tokyo, sweet, innocent and extremely good in what she does. He was the youngest ever to assume the role of Superintendent-General, a coldly emotionless genius who was taught from birth to take anything he wanted—one of the most influential men in Japan. They were never supposed to meet; their worlds so vastly different that it was a literal head on collision when their paths crossed and that left them both shaken and wanting for more. She had always been oblivious and wary of the opposite sex, he simply would not take 'no' for an answer. This Christmas holidays was going to be something neither would forget.

**A/N:** This is probably the longest one-shot in the history of one-shots. It had simply gotten out of hand and had taken me an entire week to complete it. I was like a speed demon typing away on the laptop, trust me. My classmates thought that I was insane. I think I am, in a way. Again, enjoy if you can, folks.

**Chapter Last Revised on:** 09/12/07

**

* * *

Chapter 2

* * *

**

Sakura really had no idea whatsoever what was going on. One moment she was about to reach for that sinful looking French vanilla truffle that had been beckoning to her ever since she had laid eyes upon it, the next there was someone blocking her line of sight to the delicious confection. How the person had managed to slip in between herself and the buffet table was a great mystery to the pink-haired female but Sakura knew what she had to do.

"Excuse me." Not even looking up, the pretty doctor started to move around the person before her only to have her path blocked when he shifted into her way again. Frowning slightly as she tried to interpret the meaning of this, Sakura finally looked up to identify the mystery man.

"Hi. I cannot help but notice that you are all alone."

He was quite handsome. A most charming boyish smile, short inky black hair that was softly spiked and an angular face that most women would find pleasing. Sakura was slightly uncomfortable with the way those electric blue eyes kept running up and down the length of her body though; despite the fact that she was covered from neck to toe it was as if those eyes were mentally undressing her.

She wouldn't be too far from the truth.

The pink-haired female took a small, wary step back before she even knew what she was doing. She smiled hesitantly at the taller man.

"I'm waiting for my friend, actually." Her voice was soft, her pitch gentle and soothing. The man's eyes widened slightly with delight.

"Is that so?" He wasn't even feigning dismay at the fact that she was all alone. "Well, you can always make a new friend. My name is Aoishi Isuka. And you are?"

His earnest question had Sakura blurting out her first name before she could stop herself.

"Aa. Sakura-san, you have a very lovely name. May I steal a dance from a beautiful blossom such as yourself?"

He was just too sleek, too charismatic for her to be charmed. Not to mention that he was still eyeing her as if she was a piece of candy that he couldn't wait to devour. Sakura grimaced inwardly. Mentally reminding herself to tear a new one into Ino for dumping her here like this, she shook her head as ruefully as she could.

"I'm sorry." She apologized genuinely. "I really don't feel like dancing at the moment."

He looked crushed—but in a most winsome way. Sakura was starting to feel a little disgruntled about how smooth this guy was. "Are you absolutely sure?"

Sakura bit her lip, wondering how to shake him off without sounding rude. She nodded once more. "Yes. I'm really sorry. It is rather hard to move in this attire."

"I see." He was now looking so understanding at her that Sakura was a little nonplussed. Do women really fall for this type of exaggerated 'aw shucks' appeal? Isuka's attention was no longer focused on getting Sakura into his arms however; he had just noticed something much more interesting.

Blue eyes gleaming in a way that was filled with predatory intent, he tapped his mouth. "You have some chocolate on your lips, Sakura-san."

The pink-haired female jolted with surprise, temporarily forgetting her growing discomfort. "I do?" She asked as her hand flew up to her mouth. "Where? Here?"

It was only the smallest smudge but of course Sakura was not aware of that. She was busy trying to rid herself of that stain but was not succeeding very well and feeling mildly embarrassed while she was at it.

This was his chance. Taking a quick step closer towards the gorgeous but distracted female Isuka lifted his hand and brought it towards Sakura.

"Let me."

Sakura was immediately alarmed. When did he get so near? She started to lurch backwards but knew instinctively that she wasn't going to make it. "Erm, I don't think that's necessary-"

Her quick statement ended abruptly in a loud squeak when the sudden presence of a strong arm wrapped around her waist made itself abundantly clear to her. Before Sakura could react to this strange turn of events she was promptly removed from Isuka's eager reach and-

And being kissed by an entirely unknown man.

Large doe-like eyes were filled with pure incomprehension. Everything happened so fast and she had no idea what was going on. The brilliant emerald orbs widened further when the second male slid his tongue against the seam of her closed mouth and gave her succulent lips a gentle nip before withdrawing completely from her.

Whereby she had only managed to see darkened onyx eyes when he was kissing her, his entire features came into view as he straightened to face the stunned Isuka, arm still wrapped possessively around her waist to keep her firmly beside him.

Sakura could only stare at the even taller male in shock.

Whereas Isuka had been handsome in a most boyish manner, _this man was simply beautiful_.

His long raven hair was tied in a low ponytail at his nape and trailed down slightly past his collar bone. His face was arrogantly aristocratic with unbelievably high cheekbones, a sharp nose and thin, unsmiling lips. The obsidian eyes that she swore had flashed with a hint of…_something_ earlier was now cool and emotionless, and put together with his lean form and seemingly distant demeanor…

Sakura felt herself burning a bright, furious red. What the hell was she thinking? This man had just kissed her against her will!

"Aoishi." His strangely lilting tenor had her shivering slightly with a sort of delight she wasn't quite sure she understood. All Sakura knew was that his silky voice caressed her spine in a way that made her want to edge even nearer to him, which was ridiculous because she was supposed to be finding a way to get him to let her go, not the other way around. The bewildered petal-haired female frowned and eyed the two males curiously.

Whereas Isuka had attended the function as a rather dashing pirate, the unknown male was dressed in a formal tuxedo of unrelieved black that made him look very intimidating. She tried to edge away from him but he merely tightened his hold without even looking down at her.

Isuka narrowed his eyes slightly at the impassive male standing before him with his arm wrapped around the nonplussed female. "You-"

"You have my appreciation for amusing my date until I could get here, Aoishi." His tone was quietly tranquil but the hint of condescension was apparent even to Sakura. Isuka started to turn a dull red. "I believe that you are needed somewhere else now, however. Your wife is looking for you."

Immediately Sakura quit trying to escape the man beside her in favor of staring at Isuka with sheer outrage. He was married and yet he still had the gall to flirt most outrageously with her!! Before the pink-haired female could open her mouth to give the man a piece of her mind however, she was promptly guided away from the red-faced 'pirate'.

"Come." After giving the attorney a curt nod he easily led her away. Sakura allowed herself to be propelled into the large crowd of people until she realized just what she was doing.

"Hey…wait!"

Sakura tried to stop him from dragging her along to wherever he wanted to go but he did not seem fazed by her reluctance. Cool onyx eyes slid over to look at her.

"Yes?" He was so cordially polite that Sakura paused for a moment.

"Please let me go?"

It wasn't supposed to come out as a question and Sakura was a little bewildered when it had. He didn't waste time taking advantage of it, however.

"No."

Sakura stared at him. She had never been in a situation like this before and honestly she had no idea how to react to it.

…does this count as kidnapping?

"You are aware that this is a police-hosted function, right?" Sakura asked calmly. She had no idea why she was so composed when there was an unknown man all but attached to her hip. Despite all the layers of clothing she had on her the heat of his large palm against the small of her back felt so intensely warm that she turned pink just thinking of it.

To Sakura's surprise (and the increased blush on her cheeks), his glacier eyes warmed fractionally with the mildest of amusement. "Yes, I am quite aware of that."

Sakura really did not know what else to say.

"Please return me to the buffet table. I'm sure Isuka-san has left already."

The amusement in his eyes became a little more apparent.

"Are you still hungry?"

His soft tone sounded so intimate to her that the pink-haired female had trouble deciphering his words. Then she quickly shook her head.

"No…" She stammered slightly, not really understanding why she was behaving so timidly under the presence of this man. She was almost sure that she really didn't like the way she was behaving right now. "Not really."

"Very well. You will dance with me."

It wasn't even a request; it was an outright demand.

Before Sakura could protest he had easily gathered her to him and was starting to position her limbs around him for the dance. She wasn't even aware that he had walked them both to the dance floor until now, so busy was she trying to figure just what was going on here.

Sakura was sincerely regretting being spirited away by this arrogant man. Married or no, Isuka hadn't even been half as bad as this male and she probably had better chances escaping unscathed with him than with this raven-haired and cool-eyed enigma standing before her. It was also irritating her that he was pushing her around so easily like this.

Emerald eyes fired up with increasing agitation.

"Stop." Sakura lifted her head and glared at him with as much annoyance as she could muster. "I don't want to do this." She quickly took her hand off his shoulder and moved it behind to try to disengage his arm from her waist. "Please let me go now, Mister."

Somehow she wasn't very surprised when he did not budge. Onyx eyes perused her silently. It was amusing that she was still being so polite when she was obviously getting angry. He had no doubt that anyone unfortunate enough to assail her would be given a lecture about manners and morals that they wouldn't forget in a hurry.

It must be the reason why he was so interested in her.

"Is this the way to repay the person who had just rescued you from an overly amorous suitor?" His voice was quietly silky and Sakura gasped indignantly.

"Isuka-san wasn't an 'amorous suitor', as you have so rudely put it! I didn't even know him until today!" The pretty petal-haired female defended immediately. "And you didn't rescue me; you took advantage of me!"

He lifted a brow.

"Did I?"

She let out a cute growl at his bland question. He wondered if she was aware that they were already moving to the slow music. Judging by the preoccupied look on her face he really doubted it. Onyx eyes gleamed with masculine amusement.

"You kissed me against my will!!"

"I didn't hear any protests from you earlier." He retorted mildly. She turned bright red with a mixture of anger and embarrassment.

"That's because I didn't have time to react!"

His brow rose at her unwitting invitation. Drawing his face very close to hers, he whispered his question to the badly blushing female.

"So if I were to kiss you now, would it give you enough time to…react?" He asked her quietly, his voice filled with gentle teasing…and a little of something else.

Sakura stared at him with wide eyes, and for a short moment he was reminded of an innocent doe caught in the headlights.

She stopped dancing immediately, and he had no choice but to halt with her.

"I…I need to go."

To say that Sakura was not used to this type of attention would not be an understatement. For some reason the sweet, vivacious young woman was always shying away from masculine attention, which certainly explained why she had never had a relationship before in her entire life. Friendship she could easily handle but this, _this_ was something she was just not equipped for. While most teenaged girls were falling in love and crushing on boys Sakura had spent most of her adolescence studying instead and as such she really had no idea what to make of intimate relationships and the opposite sex. She was already twenty-two years old, but yet she was still painfully inexperienced about love and the infamous dating game.

And she was quite content to remain that way actually.

Tonight however, she had clearly met her match. The man whose attention she had caught was like no other she had ever known, and he had no intention of letting her go anywhere until he was good and ready to release her.

In response to her sudden remark he brought her even closer against him, much to her surprise. Onyx eyes darkened slightly at the mild panic in her own emerald gaze. She was so very innocent, and he found himself even more mesmerized with her than ever. He moved his face towards hers until their cheeks touched.

"You are lying to me, _hime_." His soft purr did strange things to her insides. Sakura's breath hitched as his heated whisper brushed against the sensitive skin of her ear. She didn't move when he withdrew slightly and pressed his lips against the side of her slightly parted mouth.

Her beautiful emerald eyes were dark and confused. The world around them had ceased to exist; it was only the two of them, focused intently upon each other.

"Why…are you doing this? I don't even know you." Sakura was utterly bewildered by his attention. What had she done to merit this? The petal-haired female did not know what to think. Morally this was definitely wrong; she didn't even know his name but yet it had felt so good when he was surrounding her like this, arms around her, lips caressing her face. It was something that she had never experienced before, that was for sure.

Sakura wasn't sure if she wanted to know more about this new thing that she was feeling.

The most curious part of her was leaning towards 'yes' though.

"Do you want to know me?" His question back to her was deceptively simple but its hidden meaning was something Sakura had detected right away but unfortunately did not understand enough to decipher what it meant.

He took advantage of her hesitation and started to lead her out to the deserted patio nearby. Their exchange was something he had no wish for others to see. It was private and quickly getting so intimate that he was becoming rapidly possessive of this little pink-haired female who didn't even have an idea how much she was affecting him. She followed blindly, too occupied with her confusion to know any better.

"This is not a good idea." Sakura blurted out at last. She was inexperienced yes, but not stupid and definitely not blind.

He was not surprised by her resistance. Most females would have jumped to be in the position that she was in now but of course not her. It spoke a lot for her innocence and unfortunately for her he was more determined to have her than ever.

He turned completely to her and stared at her intensely.

"You are afraid of me." There was no apology in his tone, just plain fact. A part of Sakura wanted to puff up and deny his simple charge but she knew that she would have been lying if she had. Oh, if she had known that she would be in this situation now she would never have agreed to come here! Damn Ino!!

"…Yes." Long dense eyelashes a shade darker than her vivid pink hair lowered, and effectively concealed her eyes. "Yes, you frighten me."

This time he was genuinely surprised. It never showed on his face though. It never will.

"I will not hurt you."

She was not the only one taken aback by the quiet emphasis in his tone. He had meant what he said of course, but he had not expected for his conviction to be so strong. He wasn't alarmed by it however. He never broke his promises and this just made it even more iron-clad than ever.

Sakura did not know what to think.

For all she knew he could have said the same thing to hundreds of other women before. For all she knew he could be lying through his teeth. For all she knew he could be just toying with her. Sakura really did not know what to think, what to decide.

Then he made the decision for her.

The first two occurrences earlier had been flukes; they didn't count.

This time, however…

It was a kiss that Sakura would never forget.

He was unbelievably gentle when he bent his head down and caught her lips with his. Long fingered hands, _artist's hands_, traced the graceful line of her jaw as he lifted her face up to his. It was a gentle contact of lips and nothing more, and she who had been frozen stiff at first began to relax slightly at the soothing way the pad of his thumb was trailing lazy circles across her cheek. He didn't force his way into her, instead he coaxed silently; licking delicately at her lips, tasting the mild chocolate coated flavor of her essence, allowing her to accustom herself to him.

And slowly, shyly, she began to respond. Her eyes fluttered close, her lips moved slightly, experimentally against his, and entirely of her own volition she edged a little closer to him. Onyx eyes gleamed with muted triumph.

Sakura trembled finely as warm lips moved away from hers to trail to her cheekbone, then to her nose, her jaw. A small sound escaped from her throat despite herself, and she did not understand why. Her eyes opened, looked into his. He was waiting.

"Open your mouth, hime." He whispered against her lips.

His silky tenor was husky and so very velvety that she obeyed immediately. Cautiously, she parted her lips for him and it didn't take much more for him to invite himself into her.

Dark emerald eyes widened slightly when his tongue slipped past her lips; they shot straight to his again with bewilderment. The texture of his tongue rubbing almost sinfully against hers certainly didn't feel bad, but she felt slightly awkward all the same because this was something she had never done before.

But she could learn, right?

Delicately, the petal-haired female touched her own appendage against his, slightly startled when a rumble of approval erupted from his chest. Slowly becoming more adventurous, Sakura relaxed slightly and started to curl her tongue around his, rubbing her lips against his own as she did and pressing even closer to him than ever. Her actions pleased him and he quickly took their kiss to a much more aggressive and sensual level.

Pushing fully into her small mouth, he sucked at her succulent lips and explored her as thoroughly as he could. Her small dainty teeth were straight and perfect and she let out a small whimper when he returned his attention to her tongue again.

Her eyes were beginning to gleam with a growing awareness and he became more aroused just looking at the sexual curiosity in her eyes. Just thinking of all the things that he could teach her made him muffle a groan. And he would.

He didn't care if she knew it yet or not, but she was definitely not going home tonight.

And obviously this wasn't the right place to conduct the type of activities that he had in mind.

Disengaging abruptly from the surprised female, he looked at her with such dark hungry eyes that she shuddered.

She had no idea how she looked at the moment; lips kiss swollen and eyes misty with passion. He wanted her badly.

"Let's go." His voice was slightly hoarse as he grabbed hold of her hand and started to tow her back into the ballroom, his strides long and purposeful. Still dazed by the bout of passion that she had been in, Sakura did not protest. It was a good thing that someone was on the stage giving a short speech when the couple emerged back into the huge room; no one noticed their disheveled appearances as they kept to the side and slipped quickly out to the hallway.

Sakura was having trouble keeping up with her companion's long, ground-eating pace. Her _Juni-Hito_ was giving her some trouble and she yelped when she tripped and stumbled on the layers of clothing she had on. He caught her immediately of course, and before the petal-haired female could question his motive he scooped her up easily into his arms, the subtle flexing of sleek muscles under his tuxedo evident to her as he pulled her to his chest and continued his quick movements down the deserted hallway, her long silks of white and gold trailing gracefully behind him.

The haze of passion was rapidly dissipating under his urgency and Sakura was quickly coming back to her senses. He rounded the corner with her and a private lobby came into sight immediately. He quickened his pace.

"Where are we going?" Sakura enquired softly, starting to get a little worried now.

His eyes, trained ahead earlier, slid over to look into hers.

"What do you think?"

He did not bother to hide his desire from her and it obviously showed in his glittering, obsidian depths. Sakura swallowed hard and felt herself turning bright red. Before she could say a thing though, they reached the elevator and without further ado he stepped in with her, setting her back down upon her feet immediately before turning to the row of buttons and the extremely high-tech looking device mounted next to it. Sakura watched curiously as he procured a card from an inner pocket of his formal coat and swiped it across the machine.

The doors to the elevator slid shut immediately and the lift moved up silently.

_Then_, he turned his attention to her.

Sakura stared at him with huge eyes, suddenly very unsure of what to do. Her indecision was obvious to him, and he moved towards her.

"I want you." There were no ifs and buts in his hard voice, just pure certainty. "When we go up tonight you won't be leaving my suite until tomorrow morning. If you don't want this, _tell me now_."

Sakura's breath froze in her throat. The intensity in his eyes was so great that it was hard to think.

He was giving her a choice. Sakura forced herself to swallow, _and breathe_.

"If I say no, what would you do?" She asked him quietly instead.

His proud, patrician face was grim.

"I will bring this elevator back down and let you go." His admission was curt.

Oddly enough, Sakura was assured by his tone. It told her that he wouldn't like what he had to do but he would respect her wishes all the same.

Meanwhile, the elevator ascended quickly to the highest level in the hotel.

Sakura bit her lips anxiously.

This was crazy. She had never done this before. She didn't even know him, didn't even know who he was—and he definitely had not asked for her name either. Probably didn't even care.

This was probably what most would term a one night stand.

Was she ready for something like this? Did she really want her first time to be like this?

Sakura's common sense was telling her no way. Heck, it was screeching at her and giving off all sorts of alarm bells in her head. She would be wise to say no to him, to leave this place now and chalk tonight off as a result of her curiosity and inexperience and forget completely about it.

But something was stopping her from asking him to take her back down to the ground floor.

Her own curiosity, as well as an innate sense deep within her was telling her that this was something special, something that would probably never happen to her again. She should try it; experience what tonight has to offer to her, to demystify this strangely strong allure that this man held before her.

Besides, chances are after tonight's encounter she would never see him again.

The elevator came to an abrupt stop the exact moment Sakura came to her decision. The doors slid open with a soft 'ding'.

Itachi didn't move, didn't take his eyes from the stunning little female before him.

"Your decision, hime?"

Her wide eyes met his. The way her emerald depths looked calmly into his made a most fundamental part within him relax.

She licked her lips nervously, then gave him a soft, hesitant smile before quietly stepping out of the elevator. Looking trustingly at him, she did not resist when he came to her and touched her face with a lingering caress.

"Come."

_

* * *

::tsuzuku::

* * *

_

**Questions That I Would Like To Answer Before You Ask:**

Seriously, I'm not advocating for anybody to go on one night stands just to find their soulmate. That would be quite a foolish thing to do. This is known as fan-fiction for a very good reason. It is not real.

---

For those who do not know, 'Hime' means princess in Japanese and Aoishi Isuka is just a figment of my imagination. Please do not waste time looking for him in the rather lengthy (and often confusing) cast of characters in Naruto.

---

Once again, Itachi's canon character is completely being slaughtered by me. I think I made him a little too touchy feely but for rather obvious reasons this Itachi makes me giggle like a pervert. Oh, the possibilities…

----------

Your reviews fuel my passion for writing. So please leave a comment if you like this fic, thank you.

--paws


	3. Chapter 3

**Title:** silk kimono

**Author: **paws-bells

**Characters/Pairing: **Haruno Sakura and Uchiha Itachi

**Type:** Continuous (InComplete)

**Genre:** General/Romance

**Word Count:** 6739

**Theme:** LJ Community, 50shinobi theme #39, silk kimono

**Rating: **M (Contains content suitable for mature teens and older) **Explicit content ahead! Please skip entire chapter if you are underage! **

**Disclaimer:** Naruto belongs to Kishimoto-san.

**Summary: **AU. She was one of the youngest Neurosurgeons in Tokyo, sweet, innocent and extremely good in what she does. He was the youngest ever to assume the role of Superintendent-General, a coldly emotionless genius who was taught from birth to take anything he wanted—one of the most influential men in Japan. They were never supposed to meet; their worlds so vastly different that it was a literal head on collision when their paths crossed and that left them both shaken and wanting for more. She had always been oblivious and wary of the opposite sex, he simply would not take 'no' for an answer. This Christmas holidays was going to be something neither would forget.

**A/N:** This is probably the longest one-shot in the history of one-shots. It had simply gotten out of hand and had taken me an entire week to complete it. I was like a speed demon typing away on the laptop, trust me. My classmates thought that I was insane. I think I am, in a way. Again, enjoy if you can, folks.

**Chapter Last Revised on:** 11/12/07

**

* * *

Chapter 3

* * *

**

He was staying in the presidential suite and Sakura was mildly surprised when he led her into the large, extravagant apartment. Just who the hell was he?

The pretty doctor did not have the chance to worry about her own question. She was guided into the large master bedroom of the suite immediately and Sakura was so nervous that she couldn't even appreciate the tastefully decorated interior of the room, not to mention the magnificent view of Tokyo that was displayed through the floor-to-ceiling windows.

All she could see at the moment was the huge bed that was the centerpiece among all the other furniture. Sakura swallowed. Hard.

In the semi-darkness, obsidian eyes glimmered as he looked at her intently. Her nervousness had been expected, and so was her inexperience. Her blatant innocence made her all the more alluring to him.

He hooked a finger under her chin and lifted her face up to his. The kiss he gave her was hot, hungry and urgent. It didn't last long.

Sakura was most disorientated when he pulled away from her. Passion-glazed eyes took awhile to clear and when they did she found him just a few paces away from her, sitting lazily at the edge of the huge bed. He gave her a long, languid stare.

"Undress for me, _hime_."

His voice was soft but there was no mistaking the hint of authority that marked him a leader among men. Sakura looked uncertainly at him. Then she took a deep breath and told herself not to be a sissy. She had chosen to do this after all; she was not going to spend tonight regretting her decision.

Still, her hands trembled slightly when they came up to undo the first knot.

She felt like a Japanese Princess who was preparing herself for her King, and if she was being perfectly honest to herself, it excited her.

The apron-like _mo_ with the elegant phoenix motifs came off first. Then she shrugged off the snowy white _karaginu _made of silk. The brocaded _uwagi_ of the palest gold was next, then the _uchiginu. _Last were the ten delicate layers of lined _Uchigi _and Sakura took her time peeling the expensive silk from her body and letting each layer drop to the floor around her. The soft rustle of fabric was the only sound in the room and Sakura tried to concentrate on them and less on the enigmatic male sitting confidently before her. She was very sure that she would falter if she even looked at him and so she put her entire attention to unraveling the thin layers of silk instead.

It was a good thing that she had. As her lithe form became more and more apparent to him, his eyes became darker and darker as he roved them over her petite physique. Suddenly he was glad that she had come to the party covered completely from neck to toe. It would definitely have been a lot harder to get to her if the other men were seeing what he saw now. The hint of a narrow waist, rounded feminine hips and high pert breasts teased his visual senses and it was all he could do not to walk over to roughly divest her of all the remaining layers of clothing when the thin silk hugged her long, lean legs briefly.

Itachi shifted slightly. It was getting uncomfortable but he would not trade this moment for anything in the world, just as he would not take his eyes off her graceful movements no matter what happened. He was going to be well rewarded for his patience. He could barely wait.

At long last, she was down to her undergarments, her _hakama_ and one last piece of _uchigi_.

Carefully, she removed the pleated split-skirt first, untying the sash and allowing the heavy material to drop onto the floor with a light 'shush'. Her lean, milky legs were immediately revealed for his perusal up to mid thigh and she crossed and uncrossed them shyly when she risked a look up and saw his burning gaze. Her small hands reached for the last _uchigi_ then, a beautiful creamy affair that seemed to make her glow in the semi-darkness.

Slender fingers slid under the silken lapels of the fabric and unconsciously caressed the smooth skin of her shoulder before she slowly pushed the fabric down her body. The material slid down to join the large pile of fabrics on the floor, effectively leaving her completely exposed to him and clad in only her silk panties and bra.

_She was breathtaking. _

He was off the bed and before her in an instant, and she stared at him with huge, tremulous eyes as she edged close to his heat.

"I have never done this before." She whispered.

He ran his hands through her silken pink tresses before resting them on her waist. Her skin was so smooth; he wanted to touch her all over and could barely contain that urge.

"I know." His voice was like crushed velvet and she shuddered lightly against him.

Onyx gleamed with pure desire for her, and Sakura felt like the most beautiful woman on earth.

"Come to bed now, my hime."

Sakura allowed herself to be led to the mattress by him. She did not resist as he pressed her down against the soft surface, and watched curiously as he undressed himself for her. He did not take his time and stripped so quickly that it was only a matter of seconds before the tuxedo came off and his fully naked form appeared before her.

Her mouth went dry as he stood before her unashamedly, his broad shoulders and well defined pectorals gleaming in the dim lights and drawing her attention downwards to pale, perfect abs and narrow hips and lastly to his…erection.

Emerald eyes widened slightly. He was _large_.

Sakura was no stranger to the human anatomy but it was obvious even to her that he was definitely a fine specimen of the masculine sex. In his state of arousal Sakura didn't think that she would be able to wrap her hand around his quivering phallus even if she tried and as much as his size alarmed her she wasn't given much time to worry about it as he came to her, dark eyes predatory and locked to hers as he slowly crawled towards her.

The rush of excitement that filled her senses was like nothing she had experienced before, and hesitantly Sakura lifted her arms to him when he covered her body with his. The difference between his sleek, muscular form and her own softer, feminine version was so vast that she shivered slightly in response. He soothed her immediately, placing long, wet kisses on her lips and throat as his warm hands caressed her body with butterfly touches.

Sakura whimpered and ran her own hands agitatedly across his back. The weight of his body against hers, his scent of rainwater and his sensual ministrations on her body was making her feverish and restless. Without even her knowing it, her body started to rub sensuously against him as it searched instinctively for…something. Hot desire pooled rapidly in the pit of her belly and the pressure between her legs was getting unbearable. She bucked against him and immediately the feel of his arousal provided a slight relief for her. Instinctively, she started to squirm slightly under him, spreading her thighs and pulling up her knees to his hips.

He groaned as she pressed her wet heat against him. He unhooked her bra with quick fingers and pushed the fabric away impatiently. Her full breasts were immediately revealed to him, the twin peaks of delicate pink pebbled and hard. He grew even more rigid at the utterly wanton picture that she presented right at that moment; long pink hair spread carelessly around her, heart-shaped face flushed with arousal and eyes glazed with lust, rosebud lips red and pouting as her lithe body strained against him, just ready to be taken.

Itachi bent his head and latched his mouth over an erect nipple. The warm, suckling heat of his mouth over her breast caused so much pleasure that Sakura cried out and rolled her hips hard against his in helpless reaction. He growled through the mouthful of her flesh and she mewled blindly with need. His long, dark hair slid down from the side of his neck and caressed her soft skin most erotically and she gasped aloud when he nipped her suddenly, grazing his teeth against her sensitive flesh in a way that made her grow even damper with increasing desire. She arched eagerly into his mouth and keened softly when he began to suckle even harder on the delicate pink tip. Writhing with the pleasure that he was bringing her, her hands came up and buried themselves into his silky hair as she lifted herself even closer to him.

"Nnngghhh…" Her moan was low and breathy and he watched her, exotically slanted onyx eyes intent upon hers as large, hot hands traveled down her lithe body and pushed aside her panties to get to her most secret of places.

Her taste of mangoes and cream was especially addictive to him. It was as exotic as her pink hair and he luxuriated himself fully within her unique flavor. The way she was restlessly massaging his scalp had him rumbling with pleasure and his long fingers drifted lazily over the sensitive skin of her inner thighs, making her squirm and pant with increasing need.

"Do you want me, my hime?" It was supposed to be a languid question but it came out in a harsh hiss instead.

Sakura stared at him with large, misty eyes.

"Yes…!" Her answer was immediate. A most intense pressure was building up within her womb and she knew that only he could alleviate it for her and make her feel even better than she was feeling right now. And she needed him, damn it!

Despite his own urgency, a small smirk appeared on his thin lips and it was all she could do not to frown at him. He was teasing her and she did not like it one bit.

Sakura really did growl with frustration when he briefly brushed the length of his arousal against the entrance of her hypersensitive core. Then he shifted slightly away and the delicious pressure was gone before her brain could even register its presence. Her hips bucked futilely against his firm hold and glazed emerald eyes snapped open.

"H-hey!!" The beautiful female cried out softly. "What are you-"

Her question ended abruptly in a strangled moan as he slipped a long index finger into her tight channel. It did not feel bad, just a little strange as her body did not know whether to push out this foreign intrusion from her sensitive, untried core or to keep him in and not let him go. Then he made the decision for her; curling that single digit against her wall of clenching muscles and pressing the rough pad of his thumb firmly against her clitoris. Sakura's eyes squeezed shut immediately. Her sleek thighs clamped down on his hand hard, and her flushed face was contorted into such an erotic mask of stunned pleasure that he added yet another finger into her the same time he started to rub the little mass of highly sensitized nerves at the apex of her thighs.

A low, throaty mew escaped her throat.

Onyx eyes darkened at the sound.

He crossed his fingers and slowly started to piston the curled digits within her. Sakura panted harshly. Her hips moved even without her command and her hands were clenched tightly into her own long hair. She rocked desperately against his hand and he watched her passionate dance intently, occasionally leaving long lingering kisses on her smooth stomach and the sides of her breasts. She was so slick and getting even wetter by the minute, and anytime now she would be ready for him.

Sakura whined in protest when he withdrew completely from her and placed his damp fingers on her waist instead. Catching her mouth with his, he kissed her deeply and erotically, using his skilled tongue to distract her while he prepared himself for her. Swiftly lubricating himself with the fluids that were leaking from the tip of his excited arousal, he mounted her completely this time, his mushroomed tip steadily poised over her weeping entrance.

"Are you protected?" He asked harshly, his face tensed with unfulfilled desire. She nodded immediately. Despite her nonexistent sex life Ino had convinced her to take a pill daily ever since she was eighteen. It had been become a force of habit if nothing else, and tonight she was grateful for it.

"Good." He didn't want any barriers between them. Even if she wasn't on contraceptives he probably would have took the chance and entered her naturally all the same. "I'm clean as well."

Misty eyed and breathing hard, Sakura looked straight at him and nodded. He gave her a brief kiss which she responded eagerly to before pulling away and holding her still. Reaching down between them he pressed his fingers against her slick nether lips, stretching her as wide as he could. Instinctively she accommodated him, pulling her knees up over his hips and curling her thighs slightly around his narrow waist. He steadied himself with his other hand, and rubbed his damp tip against her sensitive core once. She whimpered.

"…please...!" She didn't even know what she was begging for, but she knew that he could give it to her. And he did.

Without any warning whatsoever he surged into her in one smooth stroke, hilting himself completely within her and stilling immediately as she gasped loudly. Sakura wouldn't lie. It hurt, and she felt as if she had just been pinned onto the bed by a thick pole. The thick haze of sensual pleasure was rapidly dissipating and her body tried desperately to dislodge his snugly embedded form but to no avail. He was stretching her far beyond her limits and it was only her first time. She went stiff at the sharp needle-like sensation throbbing from the very core of her being, large eyes watering involuntarily despite her best efforts to blink them away and slender fingers digging into his sleek, muscled back as she tried to wait out the pain.

He soothed her immediately, peppering kisses on her upturned face and murmuring soft words of reassurances to her. Her breathing was harsh and erratic and throughout the entire ordeal she forced herself to focus on his dark, mesmerizing eyes, slowly responding to his kisses and pressing closer to him for comfort.

The pain dominated for probably a little less than a minute, and then the strange, foreign tightness within her took on a whole new meaning. It didn't hurt as much anymore and she felt so completely filled by him that she could not help but move curiously.

He hissed through clenched teeth as her hot muscles shifted and stretched around him. She was already so mind numbingly tight; the pleasure was so intense that it was almost painful. Startled emerald eyes flew up to his. Dark obsidian burned into hers. He had been waiting for her to adjust to his girth, been controlling the overwhelming urge to move, to pound himself within her soft, yielding flesh that he shook slightly from his exertion. Perspiration beaded his temples, his powerful flanks quivered from the effort _not_ to pull out of her hot, grasping sheath and slide back in again and again and again until they were both sated and fulfilled.

"Are you still in pain?" His silky voice was rough, his beautiful face stark with barely restrained desire and he looked so savagely handsome at that moment that her breath caught in her chest. Experimentally, she slowly rolled her hips again and in reaction he clenched his jaw tightly, making the corded veins on his neck stand out with harsh relief. The pain was mostly gone safe for a slight twinge of discomfort, and unfortunately, so was most of the pleasure. Sakura liked the weight of his body against hers though, not to mention the decadent feel of his skin moving across hers.

Her eyes darkened and she shook her head.

It was all the consent he needed.

Sakura's stunned gasp was wrenched from her throat and this time around pain had nothing to do with it.

His powerful hips separated from hers as he pulled out of her slowly and immediately she was distressed by the aching emptiness within her. The look on her face must have told him of her dissatisfaction but before she could voice it out he repositioned himself at her entrance and pressed back into her softness. She was very small and her taut muscles resisted his rigid intrusion fiercely before yielding at last, and he slid himself fully into her with a hoarse groan. Sakura sighed softly at the fluttery sensation within her womb, and was starting to learn to enjoy the fullness of him within her. Curiously, she contracted her muscles and promptly bit back a small moan of surprise as an electrifying sliver of pleasure slithered languidly up her spine.

He growled loudly at the pulsating sensation as her slick walls rippled around his hard length and looked into her face. Her eyes were half-lidded, partially concealed by long lashes but the growing sensual awareness within them was so blatant that he narrowed his own onyx orbs at her. She looked so very desirable at the moment; panting softly with need, kiss swollen mouth pouting most beautifully and her eyes—

They saw only him.

"Wrap your legs around me, hime."

Obediently she followed his instructions, spreading her soft thighs apart and locking her long legs around his narrow hips. The new position opened her wider for him and immediately he reached down between them, long, callused fingers searching and finding almost right away the small bundle of highly sensitized nerves that would bring her to her peak and beyond. Lazily touching and rubbing her wet pink pearl between his fingers, the handsome, raven-haired male started to rock slowly against her heated core, eliciting soft cries from the beautiful petal-haired female with each long, languid stroke.

She clasped onto him like a tight, velvety fist. Itachi was simply addicted to the way her petite body would try to force him out whenever he pressed into her and yet would grasp hold of him tightly and not let him go when he had to withdraw from her slippery, tight sheath to start again. The friction was unbelievable, and the pleasure intense. Obsidian orbs became heavy with increased desire and fell to a lazy half-mast as they watched the pink-haired goddess beneath him writhe and sing her siren song.

She was so beautiful like this.

He bent his dark head down and kissed her lips. She responded distractedly, so focused was she on the their mating that each and every inch of his ridged and heavily veined length pistoning in and out of her sensitive core caused the millions of nerve endings that lined her muscular inner walls to go into mass overdrive. Sakura strained hard against him, whimpering sexily as she started to look desperately for that elusive peak that would send her soaring. Her fingers curled into his shoulders as he dipped his head lower to get to her slender neck, and as he marked her throat with hot wet kisses she started to sob breathily.

He was going far too slowly for her liking, and he knew it.

"Do you want something?" His voice was husky and languid as he continued to play with her clitoris, letting her teeter uncertainly on edge but yet not giving her enough to fall.

Passion-hazed emerald eyes locked onto his. She nodded quickly, her hips bucking helplessly against his firm hold. He was not giving in to her until he had what he wanted.

"Tell me what you want."

Her eyes darkened drastically until they were almost black but she did not speak. The additional soft tint of pink on her flushed cheeks told him that she was starting to feel embarrassed and mortified by his demand and it amused him that she could be so shy even when he was embedded so deeply within her like he was now. Before she realized his intention, he took her hand and pulled it down between their sweat slicked bodies, and nudged her unresisting fingers to where they were firmly joined.

Her eyes widened, and her mouth fell open slightly in shock as she touched herself and him as he slid out wetly from her before thrusting slowly back in again. He locked down her gaze with his.

"Say it, my hime." He purred darkly. "_What do you want?_"

She was breathing hard. She licked her lips hesitantly and he was kissing the succulent flesh the next second.

"I…want…you."

She whispered shyly against his mouth. Obsidian orbs darkened to a pure black.

"And you have me." He vowed softly.

Itachi took his hand away from her and slid his arm tightly around her waist immediately. Before she could prepare herself, he twisted them both around and reversed their positions so that he was the one directly under her now. Sakura quickly found herself astride the handsome virile male, small hands pressed flat against his chest for leverage and a slightly bewildered look on her face.

His abs rippled as he sat up slowly, carefully balancing her on his lap. With her elevated like this, her pouting pink nipples hung enticingly before him and he took one into his mouth, sucking and nipping her tender flesh voraciously.

Her breath hitched and she moaned loudly. Then he flexed against her and just when she thought that she had already taken all that he had to give, he slid even deeper into her, the tip of his engorged length nudging the entrance of her cervix. The pleasure was so exquisite it bordered on pain. Sakura mewled softly and rolled her hips against his. His answering groan vibrated through her nipple and shot straight down to her very core.

He released his hold on the puckered flesh abruptly.

"Ride me." His fierce command jolted her into action.

Hesitantly, Sakura moved her long legs onto either side of him. She placed her hands on his broad shoulders and then using him as leverage started to pull herself up from him before sinking back down carefully again. He did not protest her experimental actions, merely stared at her flushed face through dark hooded eyes as she explored the possibilities of this new position.

Sakura felt empowered. This time, it was she who was in control and it thrilled her. Her movements were inexperienced and slightly awkward at first but she found her rhythm quickly and began to pick up speed, a sense of growing urgency pounding in time to her rapid breathing as she heaved herself up and slid back down upon his slippery length again and again and again.

He leaned back slightly and watched her through a haze of red as she discovered her pace and worked her way towards fulfillment. Her beautiful waist length pink curls fluttered and moved with her as she rode him vigorously, pink mouth slightly parted as she panted from her exertion, eyes dark and glazed as the pleasure overtook her senses and full, pert breasts bouncing erotically as she impaled herself on his turgid arousal repeatedly.

The small breathy sounds she made each time she sheathed him completely was like music to his ears, and he decided to help her along. Long fingers crept to where they were joined and quickly located the little button that gave her so much pleasure. Watching her intently, he rubbed and tweaked her there; dragging louder moans and whimpers from her.

However, nothing could beat the look of rapture that twisted her face into the most erotic mask of pleasure as she finally came—and came hard.

Sakura slammed herself down upon him so hard that the sound of her bottom slapping against his hard thighs resounded across the room. The pink-haired female was too far gone to be mortified however. Eyes sliding shut immediately, the crest of her long awaited orgasm came and slammed against her in the most violent manner. The feel of his thick girth stretching her most deliciously from within, the pressure of him pressed against her womb, the electrifying friction as she rode him relentlessly as well as the decadent feel of his rough fingers against her clit simply overloaded her senses. Heat roared through her; fisting her hands in her long hair, she jerked straight up and let out a soft cry of release even as her grasping inner walls convulsed and clamped down tightly around him as she met her climax head on.

The pleasure was simply incredible, and it had been her first.

He would make sure that it wouldn't be her last for the night.

Before Sakura could calm down completely from her sexual high, Itachi was moving again. Her tight, clenching muscles protested his absence as he placed large hands on her waist and forcibly lifted her off him. Turning her face to his, he kissed her deeply and thoroughly even as he arranged her limbs to suit his next position. By the time he withdrew from her the dazed and dewy-eyed female was surprised to find herself on her hands and knees, breasts swaying freely and ass in the air. The cold temperature of the room caressed the entrance of her pulsing sex and shivering slightly she clenched her vaginal muscles in response. A small trickle of her essence escaped from her pink nether lips and slid down the inside of her quivering thigh.

Before she could do anything about it Itachi easily caught the precious liquid, swiping it up with a warm finger and right before her gaze, brought it to his lips. Sakura started to turn bright pink as his tongue came out to taste her, and her mouth went completely dry when he licked his digit clean.

Then he looked at her.

Sakura swallowed nervously.

What did he want…?

Casually, Itachi placed his hand on her smooth, milky flank. He squeezed her hip gently before sliding his callused palm downward to gently cup her bottom cheek. Sakura froze, not entirely sure what to do. Then he moved behind her, and his hand started to creep nearer and nearer to the inward curve that divided her bottom. The petal-haired female bit back a soft moan when his fingers trailed lightly down that line and back across her wet and very sensitized channel.

He dipped a long finger into her, and her response was immediate. She rocked hard against his hand and whimpered.

Obsidian eyes gleamed.

"Arch your body for me, hime." His silky voice was slightly unsteady, but the hint of steel was present as usual. Cautiously, Sakura obeyed. She allowed her arms to drop slowly from under her and let the bed support the weight of her torso instead. Her long hair was all over the place; on the pristine sheets, draped over her back, and they gleamed most beautifully in the semi-darkness of the room, the silver glint on pink highlighting the beautiful curve of her lithe body as she pressed the side of her face on the soft bed and kept her rounded bottom high up in the air.

The view from behind her was simply…fascinating.

Itachi licked his lips.

The pale curve of her behind was most distracting but it was nothing compared to the treasure that was flowering right before his hungry gaze. Her sweet pink entrance parted slowly for his lustful perusal as she shifted slightly and the wet gleam of her nether lips reflected clearly under the dim lights. Her arousal was blatantly apparent to him and it was all he could do not to hiss softly with appreciation. His painful erection was getting almost agonizing from the lack of release but he knew that this was definitely going to be well worth the wait.

Positioned in the way that she was right now Sakura could not see what her lover was doing behind her. Being on her hands and knees like that made her feel vulnerable—and very excited. She had no idea what he was going to do to her next but she could hardly wait to find out.

Still, the petal-haired female jerked slightly in surprise when she felt warm fingers wrap around her thighs. The strong hands started to nudge her legs apart and she was quick to follow his guide, spreading her knees until she was open enough for whatever he was planning.

Sakura had thought that she would soon be experiencing the ever infamous 'doggy style'. She was on all fours after all; it wouldn't be too far a conclusion to make.

But he had always surprised her, and catching her unawares was something he seemed to excel at. This time was no different.

An involuntary gasp escaped from her when she felt lips latching upon her most secret place. Sakura would have jumped if not for the pair of large hands that was firmly holding her in place. The same pair of hands did not budge when she tried to clamp her thighs shut and to pull away from him.

"Do not." His hot breath against her sensitized skin made her moan against her wishes, and then he buried his lips into her again. Sakura didn't even have enough time to feel embarrassed. He plunged his tongue into her and scrapped his teeth lightly against her tender flesh, and this new sensation was so exquisite that her mortification was immediately history. It didn't take long before she was straining against him most wantonly, fingers curling into silk sheets and crying out with pleasure as he licked and sucked her clean of her essence.

He brought her to yet another orgasm just with his tongue, and she could barely keep her rump in the air when he surged up and over her, covering her petite form with his own leanly muscular one as he positioned his aching erection against her _dripping_ entrance. She did not resist as a strong arm curled around her waist and pulled her up and tightly against him and the other reached over to her neglected breasts and started to knead and play with them. Her normally sweet voice was hoarse from all the cries and moans that she had been making for the past hour or so and she could barely recognize the throaty whimper that escaped her when he slid home into her clenching, grasping channel.

The hold he had around her waist tightened, and then he began to move.

It was nothing like the slow, languid strokes the first time he took her. This time it was hard and fast, his thrusts quick and powerful as he pistoned in and out of her. Each vigorous flex of his flanks pushed her further into the soft bedding and Sakura had to dig her fingers into the sheets to keep herself from moving too much. The petal-haired female mewled and mewled as he hit all the correct spots within her and pushed her own hips against his as he arced over her and started to press deep, wet kisses onto the sweet curve of her shoulders and the graceful glide of her pale back.

The pressure of unrelieved satisfaction was building up swiftly in the pit of her belly again, and this time around she wasn't the only one.

Exotically slanted obsidian orbs were dark with blind lust as he rocked forcefully against the wet, eager sheath of the female beneath him. She was so hot and slippery and tight, and those soft, delicate sounds she was making made him moan softly in response. She was trying her hardest to keep him inside her; the way she clenched her muscles around him told him that she was nearing her peak again and with his arm he forced her rump into an even steeper angle. His penetration of her was deeper than before and curled beneath him, Sakura sobbed frantically as he slid in and out of her with sure, even strokes.

Her long hair draped behind her back like a pink river of silk and his free hand came up to entangle itself among her smooth strands. Then he tugged her head up and to the side before dragging his lips over her mouth. She responded immediately; kiss-swollen lips clinging to his in an almost chaste, tender exchange. Emerald eyes darkened.

Itachi could feel his own release coming forth. She was clamping down on him so unrelentingly that he could hardly breathe at the intense pleasure as he forced his way in and out of her grasping sheath and the sensation was making him lightheaded. He wasn't going to last any longer and he knew it. The raven-haired male surged one last time into her, grinding his hips hard against her soft bottom and hilting himself completely within her yielding flesh.

Sakura cried out as his erect tip slammed almost painfully against her cervix. It was enough for the beautiful young doctor. She went wild under him, small body bucking and shaking with the force of her latest orgasm, eyes squeezed tightly shut as she rode out the powerful waves of pleasure that he had given her for the third time that night. In turn, her convulsing and rippling channel quickly rushed him towards his own climax.

Itachi groaned inaudibly, dark obsidian orbs sliding shut and lips pressed firmly against the curve of her shoulder in a long, frozen kiss as he came almost silently within her. The feel of his thick, hot essence pulsing into her very core felt very foreign but oddly enough Sakura like the way it filled her womb with liquid warmth. Unconsciously the petal-haired female arched slightly to take more of him into her and he held her in place as he continued to empty his seed within her.

Knowing that she was supported, Sakura started to go limp. The past hour or so of intense lovemaking had exhausted her completely and now that her heartbeat was slowly reverting back to normal she felt boneless and rather sleepy. Still deeply joined within her, her mystery lover eased her off her knees and tugged her down to rest properly on the bed, pressing deep kisses onto her slender neck and shoulder as he pulled her against his chest. Sakura did not resist him and sighed gratefully when he was considerate enough to move away her long hair to the side and away from her face.

"Merry Christmas, hime."

Now that the initial bout of passion had been taken care of, his beautiful tenor was back to being silky and lilting again. Surprised by his comment, Sakura lifted her head to stare at a nearby clock. It was already one in the morning. The Neurologist was mildly surprised. She had been with him for so long? Time sure flew when one was having fun, and Sakura started to feel herself turn bright pink despite herself.

He caught on to her embarrassment immediately, and gleaming onyx eyes were lit with mild amusement. He nuzzled the side of her neck gently.

"Did you enjoy my present to you?" He asked against her ear. She shivered and bit back a soft whimper. "I enjoyed yours—very much."

His soft purr had her momentarily confused for a brief moment. Then understanding dawned and her blush deepened. She had given him her virginity and her untouched body, and in exchange he-

He had taught her what it was like to be desired, had taught her about the pleasures of the flesh, and had led her to discover a previously unexplored part of herself that she had never thought existed.

All of a sudden, Sakura felt so painfully shy that she turned her face slightly away from his intent gaze; cheeks tinted a soft, glowing pink from the afterglow of their lovemaking as well as from her own embarrassment.

"Thank you for tonight." Her whisper was so soft and abashed, a complete contrast to the willing wildcat he had under him but moments ago. Thin lips lifted in a rare smile, and it was a good thing that Sakura hadn't noticed if not her face would have been a lot redder than its current shade.

The fact that she was still so shy despite everything that they had done earlier delighted him. She was such a rare find, and the more he came in contact with her the more charmed he was by her intriguing brand of sweetness and unconscious sensuality.

"You are welcome." His mouth found hers despite her best attempt to hide from him and she responded immediately, just touching her lips against his. He was suddenly so affectionate to her that Sakura had no idea what to make of it. After all was said and done, they had only known each other for less than a day. Less than four hours, actually.

_And yet she was already in bed with him. _

Sakura promptly shut down that train of thought. She was not going to regret tonight. At least not now. Tomorrow morning might be another story.

The beautiful petal-haired female yawned delicately and felt rather drowsy. The heat that her raven-haired lover radiated made her lids feel heavy and instinctively she shifted closer to him. Her movement immediately reminded her that he was still seated deep within her, and the unexpected pull of her sensitive inner walls against his ridged length made her breath hitch.

Her sleek muscles twitched around him spasmodically in conditioned reaction.

Onyx eyes darkened.

Emerald eyes widened and flew straight to his in shock.

His previously softened form was starting to…_swell_ within her again.

"Are you sore?" He asked her evenly instead, and the slightly husky tone in his voice confirming immediately what she already knew. She licked her lips in unconscious anticipation and nodded once. The slight twinge of discomfort was bearable now of course, but she wasn't sure if she would remain that way after he was done with her tonight.

Itachi did not appear surprised by her admission. She had been a virgin after all; it was only natural that her untried muscles would be overstretched the first time he entered her. It wasn't anything that couldn't be solved however, and his mind was already planning out in advance the various positions that he wanted to put her in the next time he took her again.

Itachi did not know if Sakura was aware of it or not, but she was definitely not going to be getting much sleep tonight.

The lustful gleam in his eyes made her wary immediately.

"A long soak in the Jacuzzi should make your muscles limber again." His helpful answer was almost bland if not for the odd tone in his voice. That, and the way he was hardening rapidly within her. Sakura swallowed. Her blood started to stir with excitement despite her growing fatigue.

"We will only be soaking?" She asked all the same. "Nothing else?"

His eyes half-lidded, became almost sensual in nature.

"We will be soaking…_among other things_."

For obvious reasons she wasn't surprised. Really curious now, she asked him a question that had been lurking in her mind just moments ago.

"How many times?"

In response to her question his eyes glowed with such sexual hunger for her that she drew a sharp breath in return. He pulled out of her slowly, made her eyes go all glassy and glazed while he was at it and dropped a short, deep kiss on her lips before rising languidly from the huge bed and scooping her dazed form into his arms. Striding powerfully in the direction of what she assumed must be the bathroom; he finally decided to answer her question regarding his sexual prowess, his voice a low, rough purr that made her grow secretly damp just listening to it. It actually took her awhile to recall just what she had asked in the first place, much to his amusement.

"_As many times as you will allow me..._"

_

* * *

::tsuzuku::

* * *

_

**Questions That I Would Like To Answer Before You Ask:**

To be honest, I never intended to write lemons for fanfics. It always felt a little like an invasion of privacy because these are not my characters in the first place and it was as if I was corrupting them, haha. It is a really stupid reason, I know. Anyways, I hope that this chapter isn't all too bad or draggy. It is almost ridiculous that all my attempts at writing love scenes always end up this long for some reason or another—which is why I try not to write any if I can. This is only my third attempt at lemons, so yeah, I would certainly love feedback. There are probably some small inconsistencies that I have not noticed or detected, so I would really appreciate if constructive criticisms could be provided on this chapter.

---

Like I have mentioned in chapter one, all information regarding the _Juni-hito_ (_uchigi_, _karaginu_, _uchiginu_, _uwagi_, _hakama_ and _mo)_ can be found in the website link on my profile. Go poke around that page if you are free. There are many gorgeous pictures of dolls dressed in the _Juni-hito_ there.

----------

Your reviews fuel my passion for writing. So please leave a comment if you like this fic, thank you.

--paws


	4. Chapter 4

**Title:** silk kimono

**Author: **pawsbells

**Characters/Pairing: **Haruno Sakura and Uchiha Itachi

**Type:** Continuous (InComplete)

**Genre:** General/Romance

**Word Count:** 7463

**Theme:** LJ Community, 50shinobi theme #39, silk kimono

**Rating: **M (Contains content suitable for mature teens and older)

**Disclaimer:** Naruto belongs to Kishimoto-san.

**Summary: **AU. She was one of the youngest Neurosurgeons in Tokyo, sweet, innocent and extremely good in what she does. He was the youngest ever to assume the role of Superintendent-General, a coldly emotionless genius who was taught from birth to take anything he wanted—one of the most influential men in Japan. They were never supposed to meet; their worlds so vastly different that it was a literal head on collision when their paths crossed and that left them both shaken and wanting for more. She had always been oblivious and wary of the opposite sex, he simply would not take 'no' for an answer. This Christmas holidays was going to be something neither would forget.

**A/N:** This is probably the longest one-shot in the history of one-shots. It had simply gotten out of hand and had taken me an entire week to complete it. I was like a speed demon typing away on the laptop, trust me. My classmates thought that I was insane. I think I am, in a way. Again, enjoy if you can, folks.

**Chapter Last Revised on:** 16/12/07

**

* * *

Chapter 4

* * *

**

Morning came all too soon and saw Sakura deeply entwined with her lover amongst tangled silk sheets and smooth expanse of naked skin.

It was barely eight a.m. but the raven-haired male had finally allowed them to rest only two hours ago, when the sun was beginning to rise. He had been voracious in his appetite for the petite pink-haired female and it was only when her fatigue became evident in the way the intervals between her orgasms were becoming longer and longer that he decided to let her rest and recover from their exhausting bed activities. And even then he had insisted on staying within her, keeping her firmly joined to him and curled against his taut, lanky form as his warmth lulled her to a light doze.

For Sakura, most of the acts that she had willingly performed with him felt almost surreal. He had taken her in every sort of position imaginable and some were so very exotic that Sakura had not known that it was possible to make love thusly until he proved her wrong. And gods, the amount of pleasure he gave her was nothing short of amazing. His skilled mouth, clever hands and enduring stamina brought her to completion so many times that she had clearly lost count and each aftermath were just as special to her. He was always there to catch her every time she recovered from an earth shattering orgasm and his touch was so unbearably tender that she had felt so very cherished—and very much like a well-loved woman.

Never in her wildest fantasies would she have imagined a night like the one she had just spent with her mystery man. This Christmas was definitely something she was never going to forget and a most secret part of Sakura's heart hoped that he would find her as special as she evidently found him.

The pretty petal-haired doctor was quick to bury her foolish thoughts, of course. This was just a one-night stand. Even though he had never spoken anything about it she had been astute enough to understand that the way he had behaved had all but implied that their relationship was only short termed, namely a night. Last night. Expecting too much was going to hurt her and she knew it, not to mention that Sakura didn't think that she would have the gumption to shamelessly cling on to someone who was expecting nothing else from her other than one night of pleasure.

And alas, all good things must come to an end and it was well past time for her to go.

Sakura really did not like the way her heart was squeezing most painfully in her chest. She closed her eyes and curled into the overwhelming source of heat beside her, turning her face into the crook of his shoulder and inhaling his clean, rainwater scent for the briefest of moments.

Maybe she was still inexperienced in the protocols of casual relationships, but the delicate little female felt tears gathering in the backs of her eyes, beginning to clog up her nose and affect her soft breathing. By sheer force of will, she kept her upset at bay.

The repercussions of last night had finally caught up to her tender sensibilities this morning.

And it was not regret that she was feeling. Regret was the least of her problems and she almost hoped that she had regretted last night instead but no, her time spent with him was something that she knew she would never bring herself to resent. The pain in her heart was due to something else entirely, and it scared Sakura completely.

_How on earth was it possible to fall in love with somebody whose name she didn't even know? _

When she walked out of this hotel suite Sakura knew that she would probably never see him again, and even though she could go down to the reception area to enquire about the identity of the VIP staying at the presidential suite she knew that she would not do it. Putting a name on her unknown lover would make the heartache all the more real to her, and Sakura did not want that.

She had her one night.

It was enough for her. It had to be.

Swallowing her misery and inwardly telling herself to suck it up, Sakura took a deep shaky breath before opening her eyes. Beside her, her raven-haired lover was sleeping deeply and the fact that he looked so remotely beautiful even in peaceful repose made tears fill her eyes again.

She really should leave now. It was no use lingering and the faster she left the faster she could crawl home and have a good cry and put everything behind her as quickly as she could. Sakura really could not understand how on earth some people could embark on one night, 'no string attached' type of relationships as often as they did. She was hurting so terribly right now and there was no one to blame but her own curiosity.

Sakura knew one thing for sure; she was never going to do this again. She had learnt her lesson well.

Steeling her resolve, the petite female started to navigate her way out of the huge bed. It took her a good five minutes before she could accomplish the normally easy maneuver; most of her long hair had been entangled around him and it hadn't been easy gathering back all of her pink strands. Her one time lover was also an extremely light sleeper; three times he had stirred as she slowly made her way to the edge of the bed before falling back into deeper slumber again, much to her extreme relief. She must have exhausted him as much as she did him, if not she probably would not have been able to slip by him unnoticed as easily as she had.

Somehow, it was most important to her that he would not wake up to see her leave.

Sakura had always hated goodbyes, and the fact that she had no idea what to expect from him prompted her to be as silent as possible as she went about gathering her enormous amount of clothing—and his as well, though she had carefully set his tuxedo neatly folded on the large dresser. Sakura realized that she had quite a bit of pride in her when it came to him; she didn't think that she would be able to stand it if the man he was last night was different from the man he might be this morning now that he had gotten what he wanted from her.

She didn't think she would be able to stand it if he was coolly indifferent and could not wait to see her out of the door and out of his life.

The rare sense of fierce pride that she was experiencing right now would simply not allow it—and it would break her heart.

Ino was right; she was such a tender-hearted little fool, and though the blonde had meant it as the highest form of compliment Sakura clearly did not feel the same way.

Still, the pink-haired female could not help but take one last look at his face; slim, slender fingers gently pushing the hair from his closed eyelids as she committed this moment to memory.

_Goodbye_.

Silently, she turned away from the bed, from the sight of him. Emerald eyes darkened as she methodically and noiselessly slipped on her undergarments as well as the _hakama_ and two layers of _uchigi_. The rest of her clothing she draped across her arm and without looking back, she slipped out of his room and suite.

Sakura took the elevator down and swiftly exited the hotel with no trouble whatsoever. It was still too early for most of the participants of last night's party to be up and about, and the discreet bellboy easily hailed a taxi for her within minutes of her request.

It took only half an hour to reach her residence and Sakura felt both mentally and physically drained by the time she climbed up the steps and stopped at the entrance to her apartment. The keys in her hands jingled merrily but before she could push the correct key into the lock the door flew open in a most familiar manner.

"Gods, Sakura!! Where were you?!"

Ino's voice was sharp with worry but the concern that Sakura detected almost immediately made the pink-haired female cringe. She had been so selfish and irresponsible.

"I'm sorry." Her own whisper was so low and dejected that the blonde paused and eyed her best friend closely. What she saw stunned her.

Sakura's _Juni-Hito_ was rumpled and looked as if it had been thrown on in a hurry, her well-groomed mane of silky pink hair was carelessly tousled and looked slept in and the most telling piece of evidence of them all was her reddened, obviously kiss-swollen lips and the many faint marks on her neck that would soon bruise and darken to what most would easily identify as love bites. Her best friend was also literally drooping with exhaustion, and coupled with that heavy-lidded, slightly bewildered look in her eyes…

Sapphire blue eyes widened with shock.

Ino pointed at Sakura almost disbelievingly. Of all the people in the world, innocent, men-shy, _virginal_ Sakura would probably be the last person on earth in her estimate to participate in a one-night-stand.

"You finally went and got laid, didn't you?"

Sakura's eyes darkened, and Ino knew immediately that something was wrong. Her fiercely protective instincts flared to life.

"What happened?" Ino's voice was noticeably softer as she reached out and guided her friend into her own apartment. Shikamaru was dozing on the sofa, and he awoke abruptly with a startled grunt when his girlfriend gave him a sharp kick.

"Wha-" Sleepy, chocolate eyes focused slowly upon the scene before him. "Sakura, you are back. We have been waiting the whole night for you. Just where were you?"

Before Sakura could answer, Ino spoke.

"Shika," The tone in her voice brooked for no arguments. "Go sleep in the guestroom or something. I want to talk to Sakura first."

Almost immediately, Shikamaru was aware of two things. One; something had happened to their pink-haired friend and it was probably a rather sensitive matter that he had no business asking until it was willingly divulged to him. Two; Ino, who had insisted on him staying up the entire night to accompany her to await for Sakura's return, was finally allowing him to have his first decent rest in three days, thanks to the case that he had been put on as well as the utter waste of time that was also known as The Christmas Party.

It didn't take Shikamaru long to decide what to do. With a single nod at the girls that somehow managed to convey to Sakura his quiet support for her, the lazy Nara unfolded himself sluggishly from the couch and shuffled into the confines of the nearest room, closing the door silently behind him to give the women privacy.

Ino turned on her friend the moment the door clicked shut. Deciding to busy herself so as to prevent from shooting out too many questions at once, the blonde started to help Sakura out of her many layers of _uchigi_. She has got to be feeling uncomfortable in all that heavy silk and Sakura helped as best as she could when she realized Ino's intent. Once the traditional attire had been completely removed, effectively leaving the petite doctor clad in her underwear, Ino gaped.

The love marks on Sakura didn't just stop at her slender neck; _they were all over her body as well_.

Stunned blue met painfully embarrassed emerald.

"…alright." Ino's voice was soft but demanding. "Tell me what happened. Were you…willing?"

Sakura's eyes widened. Did Ino think that she had been forced?

"Yes! I was a fully consenting party!" For some reason, she simply would not allow her best friend to think badly of her raven-haired lover. "I wasn't raped, or anything…"

The look of relief on Ino's face was painfully blatant. The blonde really didn't know what she would do if something bad had happened to her best friend. Ino had really meant to return to Sakura as quickly as possible but Shikamaru hadn't been easy to find. By the time she caught hold of her lazy boyfriend and made it back to where she last left Sakura to her own devices the genius Neurologist was no longer there. Ino had thought at first that Sakura had taken advantage of her absence and hightailed it back home but when Shika and herself went over to Sakura's apartment just after midnight only to realize that their friend hadn't even been in, they had began to worry.

Where on earth could Sakura have been?

"Who was he?" Ino asked.

Sakura bit her lips as she started to make her way into her room to get some clothes to put on. Ino trailed behind her. This was going to sound really bad.

"I met him at the party."

Ino waited for a good half a minute before she realized that Sakura was done describing this mystery fellow.

"And? His name? If he's at the party Shika might know him."

Sakura started to turn a dull red. She ducked into her bedroom and made a straight beeline to her closet. Unfortunately her insistent blonde friend followed her in. Sakura pretended to busy herself as she looked for her clothing and when she knew she had dallied too long the pink-haired female resigned herself to her fate. Pulling on a comfortable shirt and a short pair of shorts on, she finally decided to answer her impatient friend.

"I don't know his name." Her admission was so unbelievable to Ino that she stared at her best friend for the longest of time.

"You _don't_ know his name?!"

Ino's incredulity was so great that Sakura winced. Ino could only gape. This was Sakura; sensible, highly intelligent Sakura who wasn't acting at all sensible—or intelligent at the moment, so as to speak.

"_You don't know his name?!_"

Sakura nodded slightly as she went to sit on the edge of her bed. Ino followed suit, blue eyes burning with a mixture of disbelief and shock.

"He never told me." Sakura's voice was small.

"And it never occurred to you to ask?" Ino was getting highly upset on behalf of her best friend. Sakura had just been taken advantaged of! The blonde was very convinced that Sakura, who could never say no to anyone even when she very well should, had probably been coerced into something she never truly wanted in the first place. She was going to make that bastard pay for he did, and wait till she told the rest of the gang! They were going to be howling for blood!

Angry, protective sapphire eyes must have conveyed to Sakura Ino's exact thoughts. The smaller female shook her head quickly at Ino.

"I…I didn't want to know."

Ino really did not understand what Sakura was thinking. She was so very smart, so much smarter than herself but then once in awhile she would go and do something so stupid like now.

"For gods' sake, why?!"

Tears started to fill large, emerald eyes.

"If this was supposed to be only a one night stand, I don't want to know his name."

Something was really wrong with the way Sakura sounded. Ino frowned.

"Did he hurt you or anything?"

Sakura immediately shook her head. "…no. He was very gentle…" Emerald eyes darkened with sadness, and it finally occurred to Ino what was going on. The blonde started to curse. This was really unbelievable—

And so very like Sakura.

"You-"

The waterworks really started then. Sakura burst into tears.

"Ino, I think I love him."

* * *

His pink-haired enchantress had cleaned up after herself so well that he would have thought her an extremely vivid dream last night if not for fact that she had left her calling card in the form of a set of deep crescent nail marks embedded firmly on the back of his shoulders. 

All her clothing that had been previously strewn all over the floor were gone, and what irritated him more was the fact that she had even been considerate enough to pick _and_ fold his for him as well.

But her consideration certainly had not extended to waking him up and properly announcing her departure.

No, she had crept off silently like a wraith, leaving behind no traces of her existence as well as no form of contact. And Itachi knew because he had actually taken the trouble to look.

This was not something that he had expected. He seldom went out of his way to chase after women; more often than not it was the other way around and on the rare occasions that he chose to indulge in physical affairs, the enthralled females simply do not leave his side until he was done with them and even then he might encounter some trouble ending the liaison.

Of course, it made sense that the one woman he wouldn't mind having remained by his side would run off the very moment his guard was down and the sun was up.

Waking up all alone on the huge bed with no addictive little female in sight or anywhere in the vicinity was certainly not part of his plan. It had been his complete intention to continue where he had left off with her today morning; a long languid lovemaking session in bed for a start, then maybe a quick and furious romp in the shower followed by breakfast and then he would coax her back to bed for another round of intense, carnal activities that she would not be forgetting anytime soon. Itachi was not ashamed to admit that he couldn't seem to get enough of her no matter how much he tried; in fact the more times he took her the more he craved her sweet, eager response and husky, passionate cries. She was such a beguiling mix of long graceful limbs and small curvy physique and he was simply mesmerized by her personality. Shy yet innocently sensual, seemingly passive but yet unafraid to be demanding when she had to, and so very, very irresistible to him.

He still wanted her, and with a fierce intensity that he had never encountered before despite their many repeated unions last night.

But obviously she had not felt the same way, judging by her glaring absence.

And he did not even have a name.

Thin lips flattened into a grim line.

The handsome raven-haired male had no idea what annoyed him more; the fact that she had actually managed to sneak off without even waking someone who slept as lightly as he normally did or the fact that she had just went on her merry way with no thought whatsoever about him.

Noiselessly, the powerful Uchiha unfolded his lean, gloriously naked form from the bed. Sinuous muscles shifted under taut skin as he strode unashamedly towards the dresser to retrieve his cell phone. Itachi started to make some calls.

Onyx eyes narrowed.

By hook or by crook, he was definitely going to find her again.

And this time, he was going to keep her tied to his bed until she understood that she was not going to escape him that easily.

* * *

By the time Ino got the entire story from Sakura the blonde was not sure whether to reprimand her best friend for giving up her heart—and virginity to a complete stranger or to squeal with amazement when she extracted all the juicy little details from the blushing pink-haired female. From what she heard this mysteriously handsome raven-haired male had been the perfect lover; exciting, passionate, tender and very, very eager for her best friend. 

"You shouldn't have left." Ino commented at last when Sakura finished relating last night's adventure. "It doesn't sound like he couldn't wait to get rid of you if he's still so affectionate during the aftermath."

Sakura merely ducked her head down. The two girls were reclining side by side on her bed, both staring at the ceiling as they talked and listened to each other. Sakura had calmed down a lot after her initial flood of tears and was slowly starting to feel better now that she had her best friend by her side to share her woes with.

"...I didn't want to get my hopes up. Oh Ino," Sakura sighed. "I felt so special whenever he looked at me with those dark eyes of his. But what if he didn't mean it? What if he behaves the exact same way with other women as well? I'd rather leave first. Isn't that the way these things work? Start at dusk and end at dawn?"

The young Neurologist sounded so utterly miserable that Ino felt a little sorry for her. Sakura was simply too tender-hearted to ever embark on casual relationships like the one she just had and hope to escape unscathed. The blonde patted Sakura's arm comfortingly.

"Do you regret it?"

To Ino's surprise, Sakura's answer was immediate.

"No." The pink-haired female turned to look at her friend. Biting her lips softly, she shook her head once. "I don't regret at all. He showed me a lot of things, Ino, and he made me feel so loved that even if it was only for one night and he probably didn't mean it, I really have no regrets. It could have been a lot worse."

Trust Sakura to think of the bright side of things even now. It could be a lot worse, indeed. Ino rolled her eyes exasperatedly.

"It could have been a lot better as well, you know that right?" The blonde remarked dryly. "You wouldn't be crying here now if it wasn't."

A soft, wry smile appeared on pink, rosebud lips. "This is entirely my own fault." Sakura admitted freely. "I was inexperienced and I think I expected too much."

Ino arched a golden brow.

"So you want to gain more experience now?"

Sakura was quick to shake her head immediately. "No way. I'm not…I'm never going to do this again. It hurts…"

The darkened emerald in her eyes made Ino's heart twinge in pity.

"You can always try to find him again, you know."

Sakura shook her head.

"No." Her voice wavered a little, then steadied. "It's over. I'm going to try my best to put this behind me and get on with my life. I'm not going to pine. I'm not."

Blue eyes warmed at the soft determination in her voice. If this was the way Sakura wanted then Ino was going to support her friend's decision.

"Alright." Ino attempted to lighten to situation. "It's going to be impossible to look for your mystery lover anyway. Almost all the men in Japan have black hair and dark eyes; you could probably walk past him on a busy street and not even see him."

That was not true. He had such a distinct aura; that sheer confidence and impassive arrogance that were always gathered around him would ensure that she recognize him on sight. Still, Sakura smiled softly but didn't refute her friend's comment.

"Thank you, Ino."

Her gratitude was utterly sincere and sapphire eyes softened.

"Anytime, forehead." A pause. "Rest awhile now. We will go out later for some good old retail therapy, then food therapy, then to a spa to pamper ourselves the way we deserve. My treat. I did promise a girls' outing, after all."

"But what about Shikamaru?" The pink-haired beauty enquired immediately. It was Christmas after all and she had no wish to come in between her two friends. In response Ino rolled her eyes.

"Don't remind me." The blonde muttered with the slightest tint of pink on her own face. Last night had been the only time that the Nara could spare to spend with her but he had more than made up for it. "There are some new leads on the investigation that he's leading so he's heading back to the precinct later. It's just you and me today, so don't you try to sneak off to work! I _will_ tell your Dean!"

Ino wagged her finger at her friend even as Sakura shook her head obediently.

"I won't; I think I will need today's break more than I know."

Ino tightened her other hand over Sakura's shoulder.

"Forget him, Sakura. He doesn't deserve you if he hasn't realized yet how special you are. Always remember that you deserve someone who would treat you like a queen and nothing less."

Those words were so very Ino-esque that Sakura could not help but nod in agreement, unsuccessfully stifling a tired yawn as she did so. Ino got up from the bed and covered her drowsy friend with a comforter.

"Go to sleep now."

Sakura obeyed almost immediately, just too exhausted to do otherwise and wanting to sink desperately into the dark emptiness of sleep to escape the ache in her heart. It didn't work completely though.

Despite her best efforts her dreams were still plagued by visions of dark, glittering onyx and long, silky raven hair.

* * *

By the time evening rolled by, Itachi was still nowhere near to locating his pink-haired hime. 

There wasn't even a name matched to his petite lover yet and he was getting highly impatient with the general ineptitude of his people. Standing at the highest floor of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police HQ, the twenty-seven year old genius stared blindly out of the floor-to-ceiling windows that encompassed an entire wall of his office. The night view of Tokyo was more magnificent than ever tonight, the landscape filled with glittering Christmas lights and covered with a soft layer of snow. Itachi was in no mood to appreciate the scenery, however.

The Uchiha turned around to regard his Captain with narrowed onyx eyes.

"Report." His cold, clipped tone, though rare in appearance, was nothing unfamiliar to any of his officers. Uchiha Itachi was normally a good man to work under; he was fair, just and very impartial. The youngest Superintendent-General in the history of the force was generally soft-spoken and polite to all around him but there were special occasions when all that ice hidden within him would make an appearance every now and then. The frosty displeasure normally occurred when things like incompetence and stupidity were involved, and no one wanted to get in the line of fire of the Uchiha whenever it happened.

No one within the HQ was ever foolish enough to think that the Superintendent-General could be easily influenced or any less powerful than any of his predecessors just because of his age.

Captain Mokuren winced inwardly.

The unfortunate man had been the one in charge of security details for last night's Christmas bash. He had remembered feeling very honored to be chosen for the job though at the moment he was understandably not so thrilled.

"Yes, sir!" The uniformed officer saluted smartly before opening the folder he had brought in with him. It contained all the pertinent details of everyone who had been formally invited to the extravagant party last night.

"I have personally gone over the thousand over names who had been invited last night, as well as their corresponding photos. There were none whose descriptions matched the one you gave, Uchiha-sama."

Itachi looked at the Captain with cold impassivity.

"There were definitely a lot more than just a thousand guests who had attended last night. Your figures are inaccurate."

Mokuren nodded immediately.

"My statistics consists only of the formal invites issued internally within the department as well as to the various VIPs within Tokyo, Uchiha-sama. All police personnel from ranking Detective and above had been specifically told to attend, but they were also allowed to bring a companion along to the party. We do not have formal records for those abovementioned people, though I assure you that security last night had been most thorough in ensuring that no weapons or dangerous objects had been allowed into the premises of the hotel."

Itachi nodded. Security had indeed done their job well last night.

Captain Mokuren looked at the mildly preoccupied look on the face of the Superintendent-General before taking a deep breath and continuing.

"If I may, Sir? I believe it is highly possible that the one whom you are looking for might have come last night with one of our officers. Should I put up a notice of enquiry within the HQ…?"

The fact that she might belong to someone else had never occurred to him and now that it had Itachi was quickly finding that the notion did not sit well with him at all. If possible, the aristocratic Uchiha looked even more forbidding than ever. The temperature within the office fell. Mokuren gulped inwardly and wondered if he had overstepped his bounds.

Then almost as if nothing had happened, the highest ranking officer in the _Keishicho_ flicked an almost bored glance at the anxious Captain.

"No, that will not be necessary." Itachi stated at last, his voice deceptively calm and sedate. "You are dismissed, Captain, and last night had been a job well done. Please pass my regards to your officers."

"Yes, Sir! The boys would be glad to hear your praise, Uchiha-sama!"

Mokuren puffed out his chest with pride. He closed his folder with a smart snap before tucking it under his arm. Then he saluted sharply before turning to exit the office.

Itachi waited for the door to close behind the Captain before he allowed himself to show his agitation. Onyx eyes were darkened and pale, arrogant face sharp with edginess and impatience. He ran his hand through his mass of tousled raven hair and allowed himself to sigh softly.

Finding her was a lot harder than he had first thought. She was clearly not within his wide circle of influence and not working in the same field as he did. It was as if she had fallen from the face of this earth and if he considered the sheer amount of people that made up of Tokyo's population, she might as well have disappeared completely as far as he was concerned.

Logic dictated that she shouldn't matter this much to him. He hardly knew her and their relationship had been strictly confined to the bedroom and limited to a single night but there was just something about her that drew his attention like no one had. There was an unexplored potential with her that he had never felt with anyone else before and he simply had no intention of letting her go until he knew what it was.

He was most well known for his ironclad tenacity and he would not let her be the one who got away. He was not going to stop looking for her just like that.

_There must be other ways. _

The Uchiha closed his eyes and leaned back against his chair in thought. For once in his life, his mind drew a complete blank. This dilemma had never happened to him before and none had ever mattered enough for him to try to track them down again once they left. The fact that his pink-haired lover could affect him this much just with her absence made him furious but above everything else he just wanted to find her, drag her to the nearest bed and keep her close to him for the rest of tonight.

Christmas.

Weary onyx eyes opened to regard the discreet digital clock sitting on his writing desk. It was almost eight p.m. and the HQ was extraordinarily quiet tonight. Most of the members of the force were off today because of the holiday and only a skeleton crew of officers and civilian personnel were present in case of an emergency. As for himself, there was no longer any reason to remain here tonight. His paperwork was immaculately filed and completed as usual and it was time to leave the office.

Mikoto had been subtly nagging for him to visit the clan's main house for quite awhile already. Maybe he would stop by for a short while to pay his respects to his parents.

It took him about five minutes to gather the necessary documents and other official papers that he wished to take home to peruse. Then collecting his coat, he strode out of the large office and took an elevator down to the basement car park. The lift doors opened at the ground floor of the _Keishicho_ though, and Itachi lifted his eyes briefly from the folder in his hand to peruse the newcomers.

"Good evening, Sir." It was a small group of rookies and Itachi nodded civilly at them before turning his attention back to the sheaf of papers that he was holding.

_Then_, from the corner of his eyes he saw the flash of pink.

Despite himself, the powerful Uchiha lifted his head so quickly that the new occupants of the lift were mildly startled. Itachi did not care.

_She was here. _

She was walking towards the far corner of the normally chaotic but now completely empty first-floor lobby with a rather familiar blonde companion and a non-uniformed officer, dressed in sensible winter apparel that did nothing to hide the shape of her body and long waist length hair unbound and fluttering behind her like a candy pink flag. She looked very much liked a teenager in that getup, her youthful face glowing slightly from the cold as her brilliant eyes smiled softly at something her friends were saying. She didn't see him.

He did. For a split second, Itachi froze.

Then the elevator doors started to slide shut again and the Uchiha jumped into action. Swiftly shouldering the surprised rookies aside and making no apologies while he was at it, the lean raven-haired male slipped out from the elevator before the doors closed completely. Dark eyes trained on the petite form of his woman, the Uchiha started to make his way towards her in long, ground-eating strides. Her group was almost reaching the exit of the building when he caught to them.

One moment Sakura was listening amusedly as Ino tore into Shikamaru for making them wait for an entire hour and a half, the next there were long fingers wrapped around her wrist and spinning her around so fast that she was slightly bewildered.

Then she looked straight into burning onyx eyes and could not move.

_He was here. _

Ino and Shikamaru had stopped the moment they saw their friend being accosted by someone.

"Hey! Get your hands of her!" Ino's fierce demand was rather standard but Shikamaru's reaction was more surprising. His eyes widened when he realized the identity of the mystery man.

Itachi ignored the blonde's brash command. He fixed his entire attention on the beautiful, pale-faced female standing in shock before him.

"You left without a word this morning." His normally lilting voice was hard and unyielding. "_Why?_"

Ino, who had been about to march over to physically remove the tall, dangerously handsome man from her best friend, immediately stuttered to a quick halt. The blonde gaped at him.

This was Sakura's intense, passionate lover?!

Shikamaru had no idea what was going on. No one had bothered to tell him what had happened earlier and all he knew was that the coldest, most powerful man in the police force was manhandling their friend with a familiarity that made the Nara frown with suspicion.

"Superintendent-General Uchiha." The Detective Lieutenant greeted almost politely. "Sakura would probably respond better if you aren't holding on to her like this."

Glittering obsidian orbs slid over immediately to focus upon the Detective. The mildly protective tone that surfaced in the normally indolent Nara made Itachi's hackles rise quietly. His countenance began to change subtly, lean body shifting slightly more towards Sakura in a purely possessive gesture that most would not have noticed.

Shikamaru was not most people.

And he could not help but notice that the raven-haired Uchiha wasn't letting the pink-haired female go either. Starting to get a little concerned now, Shikamaru was about to open his mouth to phrase his earlier request in a less polite manner when Sakura beat him to it.

"_Superintendent-General Uchiha?_" Her soft voice was filled with so much bewilderment that both males turned to stare at her immediately.

Onyx eyes narrowed imperceptibly at what she had revealed most unwittingly.

"You do not know who I am?" There was an odd tone at the end of his question that Shikamaru could not help but raise a brow at.

Ino answered for her best friend, who was looking as though she had just been hit on the head by something hard.

"You didn't even bother to tell her your name last night! How was she supposed to know who you were? Psychic powers?!"

Itachi did not move his gaze from Sakura.

"You never told me yours as well, _Sakura_."

Her name fitted her perfectly. He should have guessed.

The way his tongue curled around her name made it sound so sensual and exotic that Sakura trembled finely. Even Ino was eying the tall man with shock in her eyes. The pink-haired beauty quickly looked away in a futile effort to conceal the heated look that flashed across her own emerald gaze but he had already seen it.

Shikamaru stared at the petite doctor who was still being held by his superior. It didn't take long for him to put two and two together and come to four. Sakura's sudden disappearance last night, her disheveled appearance this morning, and now this… Everything was suddenly very clear to the Nara.

He started to curse softly.

Uchiha Itachi was the prodigy of the great Uchiha clan, a prestigious family who was most famous for producing exceptional leaders within the police force. In fact the current Uchiha patriarch, Uchiha Fugaku, had been the previous Superintendent-General before his son had taken over and then proceeded to quickly exceed his own father in terms of abilities within the force. Highly intelligent and craftily powerful, Itachi was not a man to be reckoned with and evidently women found that sort of power most seductive.

It was probably the most well-known secret among the police force that their most eligible bachelor was also a rather fickle playboy outside of his important duties as head of the TMPD.

And evidently, he had gotten to Sakura. Innocent, cheerful Sakura who had always been more than a little wary of men. Shikamaru wondered how on earth he had managed it, and what on earth he could do now to separate the dangerous man from his good friend.

This was such a mess.

"Mendoukusai…" Shikamaru's trademark comment escaped his mouth before he could stop it. Ino promptly delivered a swift kick to her boyfriend's shin. The Nara winced inwardly.

Sakura really did not know what to say.

She had slept with one of the most powerful men in the whole Japan.

The newest knowledge served to stun and momentarily distract her from the renewed ache in her heart at seeing him again. Ino's 'therapy' had worked rather well today and Sakura had really believed that she would be able to sooth and at least conceal her pain from the rest of the world by tomorrow but then he just had to come and destroy all the other tranquilizing emotions that were helping to numb her temporarily.

She had to get away from here.

"This was not supposed to happen." She tried to make herself sound as harsh as possible, she really tried but all that came out was an oddly flat tone. Itachi stared at her as she attempted to shake his hand off hers but to no avail. He was not letting go.

"What was not supposed to happen?" His voice was calm in contrast to her rising panic. Oddly calm. Too calm. Shikamaru was downright scowling now, trying his best to figure out just what the Uchiha was thinking.

Sakura really did not want to answer his question but his insistent stare was not giving her any choices.

"It was only one night! We were not supposed to see each other again." She blurted out quickly.

The Uchiha stilled suddenly and almost immediately the temperature around them dropped drastically. Onyx eyes froze, then narrowed and darkened.

It became rather obvious to Ino that this was certainly not a man who looked as if he could not wait to boot Sakura out of his life.

She was right.

Itachi was getting highly irritated. He did not like what Sakura was implying at all. It did not sit well with him that his lovely pink-haired female had actually hoped never to see him again after giving him a little sample of herself.

Like he could let her go after last night.

"You are wrong." His normally smooth, tenor was grim. "I would find you no matter how hard you try to avoid me."

He sounded so very sure of himself that Sakura frowned slightly at him though tearing emerald eyes. Why did he have to go and say things like this? Can't he see that she was only trying her best to protect herself?

Evidently, he did not see it that way. Obsidian orbs glittered with a dark rage as a possible scenario occurred to him.

"Why?" His voice was so soft that it was nearly inaudible, but the ominous tone was so obvious to Sakura that she shivered as his hard eyes pinned her to her spot and refused to let her go. "Was I supposed to be your one night of guilty pleasure before you hightailed it back to your oblivious boyfriend here?"

Ino, Shikamaru, and Sakura froze as he turned his gaze from her and stared coldly at the nonplussed Nara.

Emerald eyes darkened with pure hurt when the full implications of his words registered in her mind. Sakura did not know where she had gotten the strength to suddenly shake his hold off her but she had and before she knew it she was backing away quickly from the Uchiha.

This was the reason why she had wanted to leave today morning without ever seeing him again. His hurtful accusations were going to kill her. That he actually thought her capable of such underhandedness and disloyalty ate at her and after giving him a completely wounded stare Sakura turned her back to him and hugged herself tightly.

"Of course. You are completely right." Her sweet voice was oddly blank and he did not see the tears that were leaking pitifully from her eyes. "Now that you know what kind of person I am, please leave me alone from now on."

She started to walk away at a fast clip. Ino immediately cast a hard glare at the powerful Uchiha.

"You know, for an officer of the law you sure as hell can be a gigantic asshole." Without another word, the angry blonde turned and ran after her best friend, and upon catching up to the distraught female immediately wrapped a consoling arm around her distressed shoulders as they both quickly walked out of the large building and out of sight.

Shikamaru sighed loudly. This was so troublesome, and as usual Ino had been most inconsiderate in leaving him behind to wrap up everything.

But this time the Nara didn't mind as much.

Normally passive chocolate eyes were hard as Shikamaru lifted his head to stare at the other male.

"Sakura is not my girlfriend. Ino, that fierce blonde one, is."

He did not allow the Uchiha to react, and continued speaking in that seemingly casual but oddly uncompromising tone that none of the girls had heard him use before. "You of all people should be aware of just how innocent Sakura had been prior to last night. We are all very good friends; I have known her my entire life and have never seen her in any sort of relationship before until now. Sakura's a good girl, sweet and loyal and cheerful and I hope you are happy now that you have probably scarred her for life when it comes to men."

Itachi didn't flinch at Shikamaru's condemning words, at least not outwardly that is. Onyx eyes turned carefully blank.

But Shikamaru was not done yet. Tucking his gloveless fingers into his own great coat, the Nara delivered one last parting sentence to his superior before slouching and shuffling away in his usual lazy gait.

"If you have any shred of conscience left within you, _Superintendent-General Uchiha_, please refrain from approaching her again."

_

* * *

::tsuzuku::

* * *

_

**Questions That I Would Like To Answer Before You Ask:**

I'm not really very happy with this chapter, to be honest. It felt a little off to me, and I think Itachi is majorly OOC when he acted without thinking and started to accuse Sakura during the confrontation. But then again, people do stupid things when faced with something they had never expected and I can only hope that Itachi's behavior in this chapter does not deviate too much from the norm.

---

I don't believe in love at first sight but I do believe that it is entirely possible for someone to fall in love with another person as long as some form of communication had been shared and established. I have always felt that Sakura would be the type to give her heart away and not be fully aware of it until it is too late and in this fic her personality fit my hypothesis completely.

----------

Your reviews fuel my passion for writing. So please leave a comment if you like this fic, thank you.

--paws


	5. Chapter 5

**Title:** silk kimono

**Author: **pawsbells

**Characters/Pairing: **Haruno Sakura and Uchiha Itachi

**Type:** Continuous (Complete)

**Genre:** General/Romance

**Word Count:** 7439

**Theme:** LJ Community, 50shinobi theme #39, silk kimono

**Rating: **M (Contains content suitable for mature teens and older)

**Disclaimer:** Naruto belongs to Kishimoto-san.

**Summary: **AU. She was one of the youngest Neurosurgeons in Tokyo, sweet, innocent and extremely good in what she does. He was the youngest ever to assume the role of Superintendent-General, a coldly emotionless genius who was taught from birth to take anything he wanted—one of the most influential men in Japan. They were never supposed to meet; their worlds so vastly different that it was a literal head on collision when their paths crossed and that left them both shaken and wanting for more. She had always been oblivious and wary of the opposite sex, he simply would not take 'no' for an answer. This Christmas holidays was going to be something neither would forget.

**A/N:** This is probably the longest one-shot in the history of one-shots. It had simply gotten out of hand and had taken me an entire week to complete it. I was like a speed demon typing away on the laptop, trust me. My classmates thought that I was insane. I think I am, in a way. Again, enjoy if you can, folks.

**Chapter Last Revised on:** 22/12/07

**

* * *

Chapter 5

* * *

**

Despite Ino's fierce protests, Sakura insisted on attending work the next morning.

No matter how messed up her personal life had been the past few days there were still a lot patients depending on her and she would not fail them just because she was having some sort of self-induced crisis.

And so Sakura had bravely sucked up all her upset and heartbreak and went back to the hospital bright and early. Work was her only sanctuary, the only distraction powerful enough to keep her from thinking about Uchiha Itachi.

Tsunade was not at all surprised to see Sakura when she emerged from her car in the practically empty TUH staff car park.

"You are going to come even earlier than the Dean next time, aren't you?" Tsunade's voice was dry as she went over to the younger female and the two tightly bundled up forms started to huddle together as they fought the unbearable cold and strode briskly into the warmth of the hospital.

The normally cheerful and genki Haruno Sakura could only give her boss a wan smile, and the busty blonde knew immediately that something was wrong.

Amber eyes became slightly concerned.

"Did anything happen during the holidays?"

Sakura's darkened eyes gave away everything even before she shook her head.

"Sorry, Tsunade-sama." The pretty pink-haired female apologized quickly as the paths to their respective offices became different and they had to split. "Nothing happened and I need to go now. I will talk to you later, alright?"

The blonde could recognize an avoidance tactic from as far as a mile away and since it was Sakura who was doing it she realized what was happening even before the young Neurosurgeon could open her mouth. She wasn't about to force the troubled young woman to say what she wasn't willing to, of course.

Tsunade nodded, then remembered something else.

"Oh, and I want to thank you for the pair of cruise tickets. I am definitely going to enjoy them; that is if I can get my leave." The blonde joked wryly with a discreet roll of her eyes. Sakura's smile became a little livelier at her remark.

"I'm sure you would get your well deserved break, Tsunade-sama." Sakura was sincere as usual. "I'll see you later."

Tsunade nodded.

"Later."

The blonde turned into her office, got out of her coat, hung it and then proceeded to stare at her desk with appalled horror.

The paperwork on her desk were piled sky high, which was what would naturally happen when one keeps avoiding the documents and refusing to go through them.

"Fuck!"

* * *

He didn't get to read her file until well after one in the afternoon. There had been a meeting with the board at the Public Safety Commission first thing in the morning and by the time it was over and he could return to the _Keishicho_ the requested file on Haruno Sakura was already waiting neatly on his desk.

He spent half an hour going through the hastily gathered information; committing certain facts to memory and generally learning as much as he could about her. She was twenty-two year old this year, born on March 28th and evidently a veritable genius as well; being one of the youngest and most accomplished Neurosurgeon in Japan and very popular with her patients for her deep caring and wonderful bedside disposition. She appeared to be single, had friends from all different walks of life and her sweet and loyal personality had won over for her many allies who were equally steadfast and would remain that way for life.

It became more and more apparent that his blind accusation last night could not be any further from the truth.

The memory of her hurt emerald gaze, large and doe-like in her pain refused to leave his mind. He didn't want it to leave. He more than deserved the guilt.

The Uchiha found himself leaving the precinct and driving towards her place of work at three p.m. He reached Tokyo University Hospital an hour later and was immediately recognized by the nurses as a VIP. Unlike Sakura who was mostly too busy to watch the news or even to read the occasional newspaper, only listening to the news on radio and therefore only knowing names and not faces, these nurses easily identified him on sight.

He didn't really care; this visit wasn't on official capacity after all. A brief enquiry on the whereabouts of the location of Sakura's office later saw him walking purposefully down one of the many hallways of the large hospital, heading directly for the Neurology department.

The Pediatric ward was right beside her department, and his long, ground eating strides had been about to take him past that zone when the soft strains of her familiar voice floated over to him. He backtracked immediately, and after a stolen glimpse into one of the children's ward was treated to the sight of her in her most natural environment; telling a story to a group of enthralled youngsters, pitching her voice and changing her expression to suit the different characters within the fairy tale as the story progressed. Despite the fact that she was smiling and playfully engaging the children he could clearly see her physical distress. Her eyes were puffy and slightly ringed with the fatigue of denied sleep and the brightness in her eyes was a little muted than normal.

Like him, she had probably not slept last night.

Had probably spent it crying over his careless remark.

Onyx eyes hardened with harsh self-recrimination. The Nara was right. He should leave her alone if he had even a shred of conscience within him but he just couldn't. Uchihas were born to take what they want after all, and now that he knew just how rare a find she was nothing could keep him away.

Not to mention that his sub consciousness had already made the decision to claim her as his from the very beginning.

"Sakura. I knew you would be here."

A deep masculine voice interrupted his thoughts and had him focusing upon the scene with sharp scrutiny.

The newcomer was probably a doctor as well; the white overcoat he had on was exactly like Sakura's. The male looked roughly his age, was good looking in a rather distinguished manner and Itachi did not like the way he was addressing the small pink-haired female with such familiarity.

He changed his mind a split second later, and decided that he completely abhorred the male when Sakura looked up and smiled brightly at the sight of the other doctor.

"Shouwa-san, what brings you here?"

The brunette doctor arched a brow as he waited for her to bid farewell to the pouting children. After promising them that she would visit again tomorrow, Sakura gestured for the other doctor to join her as she started towards her office.

Both were unaware of the silent form that shadowed them quietly.

"What else? You, of course."

A slightly startled look crossed her face as she stared at the other doctor.

"Me?" She asked, quite bewildered, not really understanding what the male meant.

Itachi did though, and obsidian eyes narrowed with hidden fury at the male's daring. It was obvious to him now that she was so very genuinely innocent; which certainly explained why she was still single and untouched until he came across her. She wasn't playing hard to get; it just never occurred to her that there were scores of men who would like to know her better but had given up when she had remained unresponsive to their many subtle hints.

And this male was the latest in trying his luck because something had changed within the beautiful pink-haired female after she had returned from the Christmas holidays.

The unconscious sensuality in her movements was more pronounced than ever; the way she swept away the wisps of pink hair that escaped her French braid was carelessly sexy, the sway of her full, feminine hips seductive as well as the almost unnoticeable, unwitting pout of her lips all made the males around her sit up and take immediate notice.

The chase was on.

Her sexuality had been fully awakened, and men wanted her.

Thin lips flattened into a firm line as he watched the doctor attempt to woo his beautiful colleague.

The resulting surge of fierce possessiveness that flowed through his veins was simply unbelievable. He was moving before he knew it.

One moment Sakura was busy wracking her head trying to find a way to nicely decline Dr. Shouwa's invitation to dinner tonight the next there was an arm wrapped tightly around her waist and nudging her to sidle close to a lean, taut body. Sakura was so surprised by the suddenness of everything that she didn't even think to fight the gentle prod that brought her small form to rest against the warm, sleekly muscular surface.

"She will not be having dinner with you tonight, Doctor. Perhaps you should try your luck on someone unattached, hm?" The dangerously silky voice and that hint of dark contempt were so eerily familiar that Sakura froze.

_What was he doing here?!_

A small flush of embarrassment appeared on the face of her co-worker as he instantly recognized the tall male. His eyes flew over to meet Sakura's stunned emerald gaze. Shouwa had no idea that the pretty pink-haired female was romantically involved with one of the most powerful men in Japan, and it was obvious from the male's cold gaze that he had no intention of sharing her with anyone else.

"Superintendent-General-sama…! I- I'm sorry! I had no idea that Sakura- that Haruno-san was taken." Sakura could only watch with blatant disbelief as her colleague all but bent over backwards trying to accommodate the man standing most imposingly beside her. The Neurologist opened her mouth to inform her acquaintance that what the Uchiha implied was not true at all but a glance at the unyielding raven-haired male beside her made her close her mouth again. The frigid glitter in obsidian orbs appeared so coldly haughty and commanding that instincts told Sakura she didn't want to know what he would do to poor Shouwa-san if truly angered.

And so Sakura kept silent and allowed herself to appear as passively as she could beside him. This was between herself and Itachi after all; there was no need to drag anyone else into the fray and Sakura would honestly prefer to be alone if he starts accusing her of god-knows-what again.

"I will take my leave now. You must be here to look for Haruno-san; I shan't intrude upon your privacy any longer." With a deep bow and not sparing another glance at Sakura, the other doctor backed away quickly and all but set off towards the end of the hallway in a great hurry. Sakura waited for him to disappear around the corner before slowly transferring her attention to Itachi.

He was staring at her most intently, the previously icy gaze completely replaced by something else. Something warmer, and a lot gentler.

It alarmed Sakura.

She looked away from him quickly.

"Please let me go." She tried to sound as cold as she could but what came out was a hitched whisper. Sakura winced inwardly. She was such a weakling.

Onyx eyes darkened.

He did not like the way she was avoiding him but the pure sadness in her gaze prompted him to respect her request. His arm loosened slightly but did not drop from her waist, and immediately she slipped completely away from his grasp, edging nervously away from him. He clenched his jaw at her show of blatant distrust.

"Can we talk?" His normally tranquil voice was slightly strained. Her defensive actions affected him more than she knew.

She looked at him with mild suspicion. The petal-haired female was still trying to figure out how on earth he had managed to locate her workplace. "I don't think-"

He was not about to allow her to avoid him.

"Let's take this to your office first, or would you like for us to remain here where anyone could walk by and see us?"

His wild guess at her hesitation proved to be on the spot as usual. She had no intention of letting everyone in the hospital know what was going on between them and definitely wanted to keep his unwanted visit as low profile as possible. It was too bad for her that half the building was already aware of the Superintendent-General's unexpected arrival and news was spreading fast that he had been enquiring about her office but moments ago.

Emerald eyes narrowed slightly. Sakura was fully aware that his intention was to get her alone but there was nothing she could do to refuse him and they both knew it. Quietly resigned to her fate, she turned away from him and started to walk down the empty passageway.

"Follow me."

The short walk to her office was made in utter silence. Sakura moved as fast as she could but he kept up with her easily, his lean form brushing against hers as he moved closer to her than strictly necessary. It was all she could do not to shy away from him. Sakura nearly wilted with relief when her door came in view and he opened it for her, ushering her into the small, cozy room before ducking in himself and closing the door firmly shut behind him.

It didn't take long for Sakura to realize what a mistake it was to bring him here. Her office was already tiny and cramped as it was and although she never really minded it his powerful presence in her little sanctuary made her feel trapped. Sakura moved quickly to put her desk in between them in an effort to regain some control over the situation.

He was not at all intimidated by her, unfortunately. Her large doe-like eyes and worried demeanor made him want to take her into his arms instead but it was obvious to him that she would not be receptive to such gestures—at least not for now.

"What do you want?" She asked then, with as much fierceness as she could muster. She looked only about as fierce as a belligerent kitten trying to protect herself.

Onyx eyes softened and he took a step closer to her. She looked at him warily but he was undeterred. Five more steps later he was standing by her table, towering over her diminutive form as she looked back at him with as much bravery as she could gather. She was learning fast that giving him an inch would result in him taking up an entire mile, and thus she was not going to back down from him from now on.

He never wanted her to, anyway.

"I wish for your forgiveness." He had been in the wrong last night and he was not at all shy to admit it. "My behavior last night cannot be excused and you were hurt by my carelessness."

He looked straight at her.

"I am sorry, Sakura."

The pretty young doctor had no idea how to respond to this sudden change of events. He was apologizing to her! And he sounded so very sincere, his beautiful eyes dark and soulful and she quickly found herself trapped within his onyx gaze. Her hurting heart softened despite her mind's fierce urging not to give way. Sakura just could not help herself; the fact that he knew he was in the wrong and had chosen to apologize for his actions without prompt spoke a lot for him.

Distrustful emerald eyes relented slowly.

Sakura had honestly decided after last night that she didn't want to see him ever again. She had crawled home straightaway after that encounter with him for a good, long cry and although Ino had insisted on accompanying her home Sakura had put her foot down and told her best friend to spend the time with her boyfriend instead. It had been Christmas after all, and she did not want to make anyone else miserable if she could. And so she had made the trip back to her apartment by her lonesome and for the whole of last night the normally sunny pink-haired female had been the very epitome of misery. She didn't eat, couldn't sleep and kept tearing pathetically.

It had been all she could do to conceal her overwhelming pain to go to work today, and just when she had fully immersed herself in her work and thought that she would be able to keep her thoughts firmly away from him after all; he just had to make an appearance and dig open her raw, fresh emotional wounds.

Sakura was really beginning to regret the chain of events that she had personally started when she had agreed to go up to the hotel suite with him two nights ago. All she wanted to do now was to heal and to forget about her feelings for him and she felt so tired, so drained.

She just wanted him to leave.

He probably came here to apologize only because his honor and status as a rather important figure in Japan's society just would not allow for this situation to end on such an abruptly unfinished note.

Sakura slumped dejectedly.

"I forgive you." Her voice was small, and so oddly defeated that he frowned inwardly. He didn't like seeing her like this. Her beautiful emerald eyes were starting to glimmer with unshed tears, her pink, rosebud lips were trembling with agitation and she looked so distraught that he couldn't understand why. Then she looked at him with an odd sense of steely resolve that made his well-honed instincts go off in a most unpleasant manner.

"You should leave now." Her voice held steady and Sakura was proud of that. Hunching slightly and shoving her hands into the deep pockets of her white overcoat, the young doctor started to squeeze past the Uchiha to get to the door as if their conversation was over. "I forgive you already, so you don't have to feel guilty anymore. We can all pretend that this whole thing never happened."

He stilled.

Then before Sakura could slip completely past him, his hand moved and latched firmly onto her elbow. She tried to remove her arm from his hold but he was not letting go. At last, she lifted her head reluctantly to look at him.

The turbulent obsidian that stared back at her made her breath hitch.

"I did not come here just for you to ask me to leave." His soft voice was deathly calm but the look in his eyes stated clearly that he was anything but. "_And I most certainly do not wish to pretend that nothing has happened between us_."

Sakura could only stare at him. Before she could completely interpret what he meant, there was a knock on her door before it opened.

"Sakura, I heard from the Nurse Matriarch that there was a high-ranking officer of the law looking for you." Tsunade's brisk voice flooded into the room. "Is there a problem of any- Oh!"

The blonde walked into the small office just in time to see her employee standing before the Uchiha, her forearm clasped in his hand and both so near to each other that it was most intimate. The Dean started to frown slightly. Nobody had bothered to tell her that the guy who came was _this_ high-ranking!

"Good afternoon, Tsunade-san. It's nice to see you again." The tall, handsome male switched his attention to the woman who had just walked in, his voice back to being very polite and impassive once more. Sakura looked up at him sharply, clearly surprised. He concealed his emotions so well that it was almost unbelievable.

Tsunade nodded and returned his courtesy. "I would say the same; Superintendent-General, but is there a problem here?"

Itachi shook his head. "I'm not here on official business, Tsunade-san." His gaze flitted briefly to the petite female beside him before retuning to the Dean. "I am here to see Sakura, actually. Please do not be alarmed by my visit."

Now the blonde was eyeing Sakura with deep interest, and the pink-haired Neurologist was quick to realize how this looked. She quickly shook her arm free from Itachi's grasp and in view of the presence of a third party he let her go.

"Uchiha-san was just leaving." Sakura blurted out immediately. The last thing she needed was for her boss to know what had happened between herself and him. "Aren't you, Uchiha-san?"

He knew what she was trying to do. If he left now with this matter unresolved between them it was probably going to be very hard to get to her once she had the chance to regroup and think about what was going on. She was most determined to kick him out of her life but unfortunately for her he simply wasn't going to budge. For some reason or another, this sweet little female of his seemed to suffer from quite a low self-esteem and was most convinced that he wouldn't want her, or at most, wasn't serious about her and thus was doing everything she could to protect herself.

He was going to have to convince her that he wasn't joking when it came to her, and in order to do so her presence was most required.

Onyx eyes gleamed with stubborn determination.

If she didn't want him to remain at the hospital, then…

"Actually," Sakura bit off an alarmed squeak when his arm came up and wrapped itself snugly around her waist. Itachi was completely unperturbed, and he looked at a gaping Tsunade as if his blatant intimacy with the little pink-haired female was nothing out of the ordinary. "_We_ were planning to leave for the day, Tsunade-san. We were just about to request for your permission to let Sakura off a little earlier today."

Sakura's jaw unhinged at his completely untrue statement. He was a member of the Law! How could he lie so effortlessly like that?!!

"We were not!" The petal-haired doctor sounded most outraged. How on earth did things degenerate to such an appalling level??

Sakura was stubbornly not cooperating but Itachi was hardly fazed. He already had a most convenient answer for the Dean.

"Sakura is always such a workaholic, isn't she?" Itachi took a blind stab at the truth. "I was working at getting her to leave a little earlier than usual but she's not keen on cooperating."

Tsunade appeared bemused by the entire situation. With the Superintendent-General dressed in a charcoal grey suit and tie and Sakura in her own doctor's attire, they both made a truly beautiful picture just standing next to each other. Maybe there's hope for Sakura, after all. The blonde conveniently decided to ignore the fact that the pink-haired female was looking quite disgruntled.

"Well, Sakura's always the first to be in the hospital and the last to leave." The older female remarked at last. Sakura could only stare at Tsunade in an utterly betrayed manner. "What's your relationship with my Neurosurgeon, may I enquire?"

Onyx eyes gleamed.

"We are currently seeing each other."

Sakura's jaw literally hit the floor at his smooth reply. _What was he doing?!_ Her hard-earned reputation was disintegrating right before her very eyes. The pink-haired female squawked in protest.

"We are most certainly _not_!!"

She was completely ignored by the Uchiha.

"As you can see, she still needs some convincing." Itachi spoke calmly, a complete counterpoint to the clearly panicking woman beside him. "I was hoping that you would relent and let her leave early this once…?"

Contrary to popular belief; the Dean was not a slave driver. She just acted like one to keep the rest of the board from getting on her back. Sakura was one of the most diligent doctors she had under her and of course and blonde was more than happy to let her off early. Before she could give the go ahead however, Sakura butted in. The pink-haired female was most displeased with the way they were speaking about her as if she wasn't there. She was not a little kid!

"I do not want to leave with him; Tsunade-sama, don't let him fool you! We are not involved in any way whatsoever!"

"We are not?" The Uchiha asked in a suspiciously bland manner. The glint in his eyes told a different story of course, and Sakura was so stunned by the muted gleam of mischief in the normally cool, distant gaze that she could only stare. "That wasn't the impression I got two nights ago when we were in my-"

"Let's go." Sakura blurted out so quickly that Tsunade's brow went straight up. The fact that her employee was bright pink in the face quickly told her that somebody had been most naughty on Christmas Eve. Amber eyes started to gleam with hidden laughter.

These two would be good for each other.

On all the occasions that the Dean had seen the Uchiha genius during official functions, the younger male had always been coldly serious and seemingly unemotional and detached from the rest of the world. The fact that Sakura's presence could relax the stoic Uchiha enough for him to lightly tease her…

Tsunade wondered if Sakura knew just how rare it was for the head of the TMPD to behave thusly.

The saying was true after all. Even the most heartless of men could be tamed by the right woman. The blonde shook her head inwardly. She started to back out of the small room when the Uchiha started to help the obstinate petal-haired female out of her doctor's coat and into her outer winter apparel instead. Cheeks still flagged with bright pink, Sakura appeared to be whispering furiously to the powerful young man who proceeded to help button her up despite her many unhappy protests.

Tsunade smirked. Judging by the way the normally distant Uchiha was so blatantly laying claim over Sakura; she was as good as permanently stuck with him.

But it truly was a good match.

"Enjoy the rest of your day, Sakura."

* * *

By the time he escorted her out of the hospital and into the car park, Sakura was feeling such an overwhelming mix of embarrassment and confusion that she no longer knew what to think of the entire situation. More than four different stations of nurses and doctors had spotted her leaving with the powerful Uchiha; the handsome raven-haired male guiding her movements intimately with a warm palm on the small of her back despite her very best efforts to sidestep him. The resulting muted squeals and giggles from the younger females made Sakura twitch and the fact that Itachi didn't seem to mind at all the rumors that were flying about over their heads made Sakura bewildered and very agitated.

He wasn't the one who was going to have to field all the incoming questions tomorrow morning. She was.

Sakura batted away his arm the moment they were out of sight of the hospital staff. When he relented, the pink-haired female started to head towards her car at a brisk trot, intent on ignoring the Uchiha. He wasn't about to be ignored, however. With a quick stride and a lunge, he snagged her wrist and easily tugged her to a stop.

"My vehicle is on the other side."

Sakura frowned slightly at him, more than a little annoyed by his arrogantly pushy manner.

"I don't care. Let me go home."

It was as if he had selective hearing or something.

"Very well, I shall take you there." He started to steer her towards the opposite direction. Sakura tried to stall him immediately.

"There is no need." She blurted out quickly. "I drove here today."

He merely looked askance at her, his gaze quietly watchful.

"I insist."

"Wait! But what about my car?" The beautiful pink-haired female protested as he led her firmly towards his beautiful black Jaguar.

"Someone can collect it later."

Sakura bristled at his dismissive tone.

"You can't come here and do this." Her voice was pitched low but her distress was most obvious to him. He stopped immediately at her tone and looked at her.

"Would you have listened to me if I did otherwise?" Before Sakura could open her mouth to deliver her instinctive reply, he interrupted her calmly. "Be honest, Sakura."

Her mouth quickly snapped shut.

If he wasn't so obstinately insistent and adamant in looking for her, she would have done everything within her power to avoid him till kingdom come.

And somehow, he had known it.

The look on Sakura's face must have conveyed her unwilling acknowledgement for his point, for wordlessly he started to walk again with her in tow. Unlocking the car, he opened the passenger door for her and surprisingly enough she got in without a fuss. Sakura was starting to resign herself to the fact that there was nothing she could do to deter him; it would have been easier trying to convince an elephant to dance the cha-cha. Might as well wait and see what he wanted from her.

Sitting gingerly against the plush interior of the expensive car, Sakura eyed her surroundings warily as she waited for him to get into the vehicle. Sliding into the driver's side and closing the door, the Uchiha proceeded to start the car with a languid precision that accompanied him in everything he did. The sleek vehicle purred to life. Long fingers curled lightly around the clutch of the Jaguar after he eased its brakes and coaxed it into smooth movement.

Sakura was so reluctantly fascinated by the elegant yet pragmatic manner in which he drove that she could not help but stare curiously at his hands as they guided the vehicle with great expertise. Then one thing led to another and she found herself admiring the way his charcoal grey suit complimented his form; the quietly tasteful, well-fitting clothes showcasing his leanly muscular body most perfectly in the way that it was meant to do. When she finally realized what she was doing she quickly turned her attention to the passing scenery outside, cheeks tinting pink with slight mortification. She hoped that he didn't noticed.

But of course he did.

She would never know but at that exact moment in the silent, enclosed atmosphere of his car he was so perfectly attuned to her that it was almost unbelievable. Her unease and confusion seemed to radiate off her in tensed waves and as much as he wanted to do—or say something to calm her down now was simply not the time. He knew that she was definitely going to try to fight him with everything she's got and he had no intention of inciting her to a quarrel while he was navigating their way through the late-afternoon traffic and unable to concentrate fully on her.

His pink-haired lover was just going to have to wait for a little longer before he could make everything up to her.

The interior of the Jaguar was silent for the next forty-five minutes or so until Sakura could take it no longer. For the vibrant pink-haired female, silence was certainly _not_ golden and she simply could not tolerate awkward stretches of stillness like the one she was currently in.

"…How did you know where I work?" Her voice was tinged with grudging curiosity.

Itachi gave her a brief glance before returning his attention to the road.

"My position allows for certain privileges." He answered simply.

Sakura frowned as she mulled over his statement.

"You had someone investigate me?" She asked incredulously at last, her normally soft voice pitched an octave higher in her surprise.

He didn't have to be a genius to pick up her growing agitation.

"I did not send for anyone to investigate you. To investigate implies that a most extensive enquiry has been done to verify your background. I did no such thing." He corrected calmly. "Instead I merely made a request for all your known information to be collected and passed on to me. Public records, bank statements and the such."

Sakura's frown deepened. She didn't care about any official definition or what the hell; poring through her public records and bank statements sure as heck counted as an investigation to her!

"But that's an invasion of privacy!" The petal-haired female sputtered. Suddenly it didn't quite bewilder her anymore that he knew his way to her apartment and didn't even have to ask her for her address.

The Uchiha was unfazed by her displeasure. Turning into her underground car park and easily slipping the Jaguar into the nearest slot, Itachi cut off the engine and turned his entire attention to the petite female.

"You are right; and I would apologize for my rudeness but I wouldn't mean it if I did." Intent onyx eyes stared into hers. "I had only your first name and physical description, Sakura. This was the quickest way to locate you and I wasn't about to throw it away."

The look that he was giving her was so oddly compelling that Sakura had to fight not to be pulled in by his gaze again. The beautiful petal-haired female blinked and looked down at her hands.

"Why are you even bothering to look for me anyway?" She mumbled. He was special to her because no matter how she tried to control it her heart sang with giddy joy whenever she was near him, but for the life of her she could not understand why he was so determined to find her. He was such a famous, influential man. Women probably threw themselves at him all the time and she was just one among millions, and not even exceptionally beautiful or sophisticated.

So why?

Ridiculously long, sooty lashes swept down partially and concealed his thoughts from her. His eyes were half-lidded.

"You know my reason why, Sakura." His soft purr affected her so much that she bit her lips and prayed inwardly that he wouldn't realize the power he held over her. She was so busy fighting not to look at him that she didn't see that the attraction clearly went two ways; he was deeply affected by her presence as well in a way that none had ever managed to induce within him.

Sakura shook her head with difficulty.

"No." She denied immediately. "No, I don't know at all why you are doing this to me." Emerald eyes darkened as a most painful thought occurred to her.

"Please, if this is just a game to you, please just stop." Her voice was now reduced to a whisper. "I have no experience in anything like this before, so please find your amusement somewhere else and leave me alone."

Almost immediately after her sad declaration, obsidian eyes sharpened and stared hard at the pretty pink-haired female. She looked so dejected.

"What makes you think that this is just a game to me?" His voice was deceptively calm but there was an odd tone in it that made Sakura pause.

"What else am I to think?" The young doctor asked him in return, clearly starting to get distraught all over again. "You approached me for no reason whatsoever that night at the party and showered so much attention on me even though we didn't even know each other. Then we had our one night and when it was over you came looking for me even when I saved you the trouble and left before you woke. And now you appear at the hospital today and all but imply to all of my colleagues that we are an item when we are clearly not. Of course this is a game to you! What else could it be?"

"It was never a game to me, Sakura."

Emerald eyes widened with shock.

"…what?"

In response to her bewilderment he reached over and brushed his lips against hers. His kiss was so startlingly gentle that she didn't think to fight it. He sighed softly and she looked at him. Not for the first time today she saw the lines of stress that were etched onto his face, as well as the slight weariness in his eyes. She was stunned to finally realize that this was affecting him as much as it had her.

She did not protest when he leaned his forehead against hers, his nose nudging her cheek slightly in a gesture of affection. She felt herself relax slowly as his wonderful rainwater scent surrounded her.

Then Itachi began to speak.

"I wanted you the very moment I saw you walk into that ballroom. You were alone among the large group of people and you looked so composed and graceful in your _Juni-Hito_ even though you were actually quite intimidated by the people around you and your attire was all but weighing you down. I had been most intrigued.

"Aoishi had been my excuse to approach you and once I had the chance to interact with you I knew that I had to have you that night." Onyx eyes warmed slightly at the memory. "You tasted so sweet and innocent, and I was simply charmed by the way you would blush and stammer so becomingly whenever I touched you."

As if on cue, Sakura started to pinken. But Itachi wasn't done yet.

His eyes narrowed slightly upon her.

"That night with you was never meant to be a casual relationship. I never intended to let you go just like that. I made the mistake of not asking for your name; I had assumed that you would still be with me in the morning. It was my fault. You had been very…distracting that entire evening."

A small smile curved on his face as she blushed harder. The gentle warmth in his eyes made her breath hitch. Formerly distressed emerald orbs softened.

"I was furious with myself when I realized that you were gone and that I had no way to look for you. You simply left without a glance, leaving behind no form of contact whatsoever."

He made her sound as if she was hardly affected by him and Sakura shook her head immediately to interrupt, the glint of tears appearing in her eyes. They were both such silly people, she was realizing that now.

"You never told me your name either, and I thought that all you wanted was just a 'no strings attached' type of relationship." Sakura whispered huskily. "And I agreed to go up with you because there was…something about you that made me feel so special. I didn't want to leave when morning came about but I didn't think I could bear it if you were cold and distant and could not wait for me to get out after our one night was over. It would break my heart."

Then she smiled wryly to herself.

"It didn't make much of a difference any way. My heart still hurt in the end. I don't think that I'm made out for casual relationships."

Onyx eyes were fiercely intent as they burnt into hers.

"You won't be indulging in any one night stands from now on. That night with me was going to be your one and only experience; I'm going to make sure of it."

His firm vow made her look at him with gentle hope. The glittering obsidian softened slightly at that sweet expectation on her face. Itachi tilted his head slightly to nuzzle her cheek and she acquiesced to his affection.

"I meant what I said when I told your Dean that we were in a relationship." He remarked eventually. She stared at him, not really comprehending what he was trying to imply. There were so many possibilities after all.

Itachi pulled back to look at her properly.

"I cannot promise that I won't hurt you again, but know that it will never be intentional on my part."

Emerald eyes softened at his declaration. He knew his mistake and was trying to assure her that it would never happen again. Just like that, Sakura came to her decision. She had no idea where this was going to take her, but if he was beside her the entire way she didn't think she would care. Oh, she knew very well that she was way in over her head whenever it came to him, but there was simply no other way for her. This was how she was after all; to love with all her heart and to live with no regrets.

_No regrets. _

Sakura gave Itachi a small, tentative smile.

"I have never done this before." She whispered in that exact same manner that she had two nights ago.

His eyes glimmered with gentleness.

"I know."

Sakura took a deep breath. This was insane. Her friends were definitely going to protest about this newest change in her life but for some reason she was quite certain that they would not be able to cow Itachi no matter how hard they tried.

It was going to be a rather interesting experience; that was for sure.

"I would probably care too much." She warned softly.

Dark onyx orbs warmed.

"I wouldn't mind."

He edged closer, the slight smile on his lips working very well to distract her.

"And…and I'm probably not going to be the typical girlfriend."

"Good. You won't bore me then."

He was now so near that she could see the slivers of cobalt blue in his eyes. Her heart started to race.

"And I would probably-"

"Sakura." He interrupted her babblings softly. Her brilliant green eyes grew large.

"…yes…Itachi?"

It was the first time that she used his name. It had never sounded better. His gaze darkened hungrily.

"Talk later."

He leant in and closed that last inch between the two of them, pressing his lips briefly against that delectable mouth of hers before slowly starting to nudge her open. Sakura's eyes slipped close as she gave way to him. The kiss was so tender that it brought tears to her eyes.

The pretty little doctor was pink in the face when her lover pulled back. His lazy smile widened at that slightly dazed look on her face. Immediately she tried to hide her flushed features from him but he would not allow it.

"This is embarrassing." She muttered. The fact that she was still so bashful after everything that they had done clearly delighted him. He brushed his lips against her petal-soft cheek to show how pleased he was with his current standing with her.

"Don't be." His velvety voice was husky. "I happen to like you as you are."

She looked surprised—but in a pleased way.

"You do?"

His eyes glinted with lazy amusement.

"Would you like me to show you how much?"

It didn't take long for Sakura to pick up the hidden meaning in his silky purr. She started to turn bright red, and soft, rusty chuckles spilled from him. The handsome raven-haired male leant in further and nuzzled the side of her neck with his nose. She shifted and sighed at his affectionate behavior.

"I like you the way you are too." She admitted softly. He could be so intimidating sometimes but Sakura had decided that she wouldn't change him for anything in the world. Every aspect of him made her heart beat so hard with happiness and she hoped that one day she would be able to let him know how much he mattered to her. Now was not the time though, but it would probably be one day soon.

"I know." Her proclaim was so sincere that he knew without a doubt she meant exactly what she said. She didn't have a conniving bone in that sweet body of hers, and in the harsh, realistic world that he had lived in for so long her innocence was something so rare and precious that he knew that he would do anything within his power to protect it now that she was his.

He touched a lock of her soft pink hair before closing long fingers over it and giving it a gentle tug.

"If you agree to be with me, know that I will not let you go easily." His voice was serious, and his eyes steady as he pinned her gaze with his.

She gave him a tremulous smile.

"I was hoping for that, actually."

Onyx orbs glinted.

"You will not be disappointed."

Her heart sang at his unspoken vow and somehow, she just knew that he would keep his promise.

"I know."

_

* * *

::owari::

* * *

_

**Questions That I Would Like To Answer Before You Ask:**

Once again, Shouwa-san is purely a figment of my imagination. He was created just for the occasion, so as to speak.

---

Don't hit me for saying this again (and I know that I am being very anal about this, just bear with me); Itachi is _completely, ridiculously, utterly_ OOC in this chapter and I really have to apologize about that. This last installment gave me a gigantic headache when I was editing it. I just cannot see a happily ever after any other way, so I will just apologize for the over sappiness of this chapter before someone comments about how lame it is.

---

Silk kimono is officially completed as of this chapter. There will be no sequel; this was supposed to be a one shot and I have already over exceeded my limit as it is. There will be other fics of course, but it is highly unlikely that I will do a continuation for this. Thanks for staying with me from the beginning to the end; I simply loved all your kind comments and helpful, encouraging feedback.

----------

Your reviews fuel my passion for writing. So please leave a comment if you like this fic, thank you.

--paws


End file.
